


Hacker's Worst Nightmare

by ani_babe93



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Cheating, Developing Relationship, Holy Fuck What Was I Thinking, It's kinda confusing, M/M, Technically the non-con really isn't, Violence, you'll understand when you read it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-02-22 08:49:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 42,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2501765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ani_babe93/pseuds/ani_babe93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Virus decided he was going to be Noiz's acquaintance, he wasn't expecting anything to go near as far as they actually did. Being a vampire, you learn to seclude yourself from emotions, especially love. And then stupid annoying blond brats decide to break your walls down and ruin everything for you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Noiz being a brat

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written by my girlfriend for me. I served as proofreader. We have no clue where this is going, but hang on for the ride.

The wind blew by a cracked window, the slight whistling actually calming the occupant's frazzled nerves. His blue eyes were dull with frustration and annoyance. The bedsheets lay low on his hips and only just covered his lower half.

Virus was beyond unsettled. Shortly after he'd returned home that day he'd received a message from a certain blond hacker.

 

Meet me at Heibon. 9:30

Noiz

 

'Now why would that little brat want to meet me at that junk shop? There must be something behind it...' Perhaps it was a dirty little joke that he thought was going to be funny, or something. He'd fallen victim to many of those in his time. It never boded well for the unfortunate prankster. After all, the last time Trip had done something to him...

He just left it at the fact that Trip had trouble pissing for a week.

But still, Noiz didn't strike him as the type that would do something like this. That took either a certain amount of gall or a certain amount of ignorance, and the computer hacker definitely didn't have either.

So why in the hell did he want to meet? He quickly checked his Coil: 9:10. It would take him ten minutes to walk there and only two or three to get dressed. Did he leave and go to meet the brat, or did he stay there and decide that he had better things to do?

Wait. He didn't have better things to do.

Fifteen minutes later and Virus was standing outside the quiet shop in the freezing cold. He silently joked to himself that if he stayed there much longer the tips of his hair would freeze off. The slight chuckle that produced warmed him up a little.

“I wasn't sure if you'd actually show up,” he heard behind him.

“I was debating about whether or not it was worth it,” the elder blond responded quickly. “Obviously it was, otherwise I wouldn't be here, right?”

“Right.” Silence passed between them.

“What do you want?” Virus asked.

“Come with me.” He barely cocked his head to look at Noiz.

“Why should I go with you?” he returned.

“You're here. That should be reason enough,” he snapped back. There was a dangerous light in the hacker's eyes. Virus deigned it best that he not ignore the order.

“If you try anything I will not hesitate to kill you,” he warned smoothly.

“Agreed.” They strutted off without another noise. It didn't take long for them to find a quiet place.

“So this is your room...” Virus muttered in surprise.

“Yeah.” 'He's not a man of many words, is he? No...so far he doesn't seem to be that way...'

“What, exactly, am I doing here?” Another slight pause.

“Want to get right to the point?”

“Yes, I have a meeting in the Old Residential District in the morning.”

“Fair enough,” Noiz said surprisingly soft and reached up to pull his tie off.

“What are you...” It didn't take long before Noiz was bare from the waist up, though that's not what caught the yakuza's eyes.

The multitude of scars, bruises, and fresh wounds were what made him pause.

“What...happened?”

“Morphine,” he said nonchalantly.

“Trip....”

“Sounds about right, I guess. I don't feel it, though. Probably should get it checked out at the hospital, considering I'm bleeding...”

“It would probably be best. I don't think Aoba would be too thrilled to find you dead from superficial wounds,” Virus sighed. “Though that would force him-”

“Stop.” A pale blond eyebrow arched.

“Jealous, are we? Don't want me having what rightfully belongs to you?” he teased. “Well, don't worry. I don't particularly want him anyway. Come here.” Noiz hesitated. “I'm not the one that's going to hurt you.” He finally caved, slowly walking over to the elder blond. Green eyes flickered nervously across Virus's face, studying his movements and expressions, digging for the slightest hint of ill intent.

Virus was surprisingly gentle in his examination, watching the hacker's expressions for any sign of discomfort and changing his pressure at each flinch.

“Nothing's broken. Just a few internal bruises that will probably lead to some discomfort in the next few days,” he muttered absently. He quickly corrected himself by saying, “Or it would, were you a normal person.”

“Hmm.” The younger blond shuffled over to his small bed and plopped down on it. Pseudo Rabbit chimed to life on the bedside table to his right.

“No viruses detected! All systems functional! Data ripped from Platinum Jail maximum security completed! Map schematic downloaded and ready!” The small cube continued rattling off updates as Noiz's fingers moved rapidly across his keyboard. Virus quietly cleared his throat and pivoted.

“I'll be leaving. Next time specify why you want me. Otherwise I might not come,” he sighed. Whether or not Noiz registered what he'd said, as there was no answer as the taller let himself out. He began absently toying with his cuffs as he walked. So many thoughts were running through his head. Each thought lasted mere seconds, but every one of them centered around one thing.

The strange, nearly disgusting feeling he had about his growing 'attachment' to the little twit. After all, what did a two-hundred year old vampire have to do with a nineteen year old kid?

 


	2. Slutty Blueberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ugh.........f**king Aoba!!

     Shortly before midnight Virus finally trudged through his front door almost dead on his feet. 'Ugh...I need to feed soon...' He was sure the other occupant of the luxurious suite could hear his stomach grumbling.  
     “Virus, why haven't you been feeding like you should?” a deep voice asked. Trip's favorite pass time was to nag the elder about all the things he did wrong.  
Funny. Last time Virus checked, he was the one who turned the damn blond almost fifty years ago on a whim. He regretted nearly every second of it now.  
      “Because I haven't been feeling very hungry,” he stated matter-of-factly. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. “Why, exactly, do you care? Once I'm dead you're free of me.”  
     “Yes, but if you die, I'll be the first one to get blamed. I'd rather you die at the hands of a hunter while I'm sitting at home quietly twiddling my thumbs than have you die of starvation in the house while I'm asleep. Now go and feed.” The younger propped himself against a doorframe and glared daggers at his sire.  
      “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were anxious to get rid of me so you could fuck that pretty boy human, Aoba,” Virus muttered. The knife struck home; Trip flushed and straightened up.  
     “Excuse me, but I could care less about him! He's a fragile whiny little nuisance-”  
     “Like you were when I found you?” the elder returned quickly. Trip bit his tongue and looked away.  
     “...” Silence.  
     “Go ahead. I'll probably be out for a while anyway. I need some time to myself to clear my head and figure a few things out.” He was being surprisingly lax with his fledgling, he noted, after stepping back out into the dead streets. After all, not ten years ago and he wouldn't have even dreamed about Trip doing anything on his own. What had happened?  
     Oh, right. Virus had stopped caring. 'He's old enough to know what the hell to do by now. All I have to worry about is him 'accidentally' turning Aoba one night during sex or something and giving me ANOTHER headache...I wonder how long it will be before Noiz finds out about that...?' A cruel, twisted thought crossed his mind. 'I could always tell him myself...' His feet carried him on a random path. 'I have proof. There are some of Aoba's things in Trip's room, and there's no mistaking whose they are. All I would have to do is show them to Noiz and-”  
     “I'm going back home now, Noiz. Granny wanted me back early tonight. I'll see you tomorrow,” a familiar voice said. Virus's ears perked up at the sound. 'Hmm? Well, I actually didn't think Trip would be that brazen. That's amusing.' He could hear the soft footsteps of the mortal in the direction he just came from. It didn't take a genius to know where he was going. It only took a smart-ass two-hundred year old immortal. Virus's head tilted. He then fished into his pocket and pulled out a coin.  
     “Heads I tell him, tails I keep my fuckin' mouth shut,” he muttered to himself with an uncharacteristic swear. He flicked it and watched it flip for what felt like an eternity before catching it in his palm and slowly uncurling his fingers.

     “T-Trip!” Aoba's back arched beautifully against the vampire's chest, the heat searing both of their skins. He could feel every thrust as if it were an all-consuming heat, each nerve alight with searing pleasure. His nails were tearing into Trip's back leaving welts and bloody lines. The blond had a just-right grip on blue strands.  
     “Hmm, you're really enjoying this, aren't you?” he panted into Aoba's ear. A quick nip on a plump, swollen earlobe gave him his answer. “Thought so.” At that he nearly doubled the other over, knees brushing shoulder as he continued to pound into his lover. Aoba's pants turned into quiet moans, then shouts as his prostate was slammed roughly over and over again.  
     “Trip, I'm c-” His warning was silenced with petal-soft lips over his and a hand closing tightly around his throbbing length to squeeze and tug. Every muscle in Aoba's body tensed with his release, bright white light covering his entire field of vision. He could barely even manage a gasp. Trip continued for a few more thrusts before finally stilling with a quiet grunt followed by a contented sigh. After a moment he slowly pulled himself out from that amazing heat to flop onto his back. Without hesitation the younger cuddled into his side.  
     Trip was strangely at peace then. While he liked to think that it was entirely due to the fact that Virus wasn't around to nag him about keeping his voice down, or that he just got laid by a VERY sexy man who was more than willing, he realized that that wasn't the reason why at all. 'Oh, hell...if Virus found out he'd either mock me for the rest of eternity or tell me I'm an idiot and that I'm not supposed to get attached to the food.'  
     “Mmnnn...can I stay the night tonight?” he heard from his side. “It's too cold outside, and I don't think I could make it home if I tried...”  
     “I don't know, Aoba. That one's up to Virus,” he answered. “And I don't know when he'll be back, either.”  
Jingle jingle jingle...CLICK! 'Never mind, he's back.'  
     “Trip, are you done in there?” Virus called out.  
     “Yes, I am. I have a que-”  
     “No,” he answered quickly. He could practically see the pout the younger had without even trying.  
     “But Virus! It's freezing!” Aoba argued. Virus opened his mouth to argue back but stopped. 'If I keep Aoba here, that might be enough for Noiz to-'  
     “Wait, why...?” he whispered. He violently shook his head and relented. “Only for tonight. He goes home tomorrow.” 'Hmph. He's getting attached. And I'm not entirely sure this one's a bad thing, either.' Virus strutted to his room, tugging his tie off and laying it across the arm of the couch before shedding the rest of his clothes. He stretched lazily before flopping down onto his mattress. The sound of the sheets rustling made him raise his head.  
     “Hello, Hersha. I'm surprised you aren't in sleep mode,” he commented. The snake merely stared at him, swaying slightly from side to side. It took the tired immortal a moment to notice why. “Ah. Thank you.” He slipped his coil from around his AllMate's neck and rolled onto his back. Another message, again from Noiz.

     Thanks for the help.  
               Noiz

     “Hmm. Well isn't he just a linguist.” Satisfied there was nothing more of any importance he settled under the covers and let his eyes droop closed. The slight headache he'd been suffering from all night returned full force just as he finally drifted off. This, unfortunately, led to some interesting dreams. One of which, sadly, involved a certain charming blond held tight in his arms, fangs pressed roughly into his neck draining every last drop of blood from his veins. Virus snapped up after that particular nightmare. His stomach growled painfully in protest. He needed to feed, and soon. If he waited any longer he was liable to waste away, and that would be too painful a process for him to even consider. So regrettably he pulled himself out from the warm cocoon of his blankets and back out into the cold streets wrapped tightly in a large jacket and shivering.  
     Had Virus actually been bothering to keep his feeding habits steady he could walk around in the cold weather wearing practically nothing and he would be perfectly fine. As it was he could barely stand to have his nose uncovered. It didn't take him long to find some poor junkie high as a kite in a back alley off of whatever drug he'd gotten a hold of. A small twinge of pity nearly overpowered his hunger, but the continuously worsening pain in his gut knocked the feelings out as he fed for the first time in...he didn't even want to think about how long it had been since he'd last enjoyed fresh blood. All Virus cared about was that he was now sated and warm, and that he had roughly four more hours to try and catch up on what little sleep he needed and could afford for the meeting he and Trip were scheduled to attend in the morning. At the rate things were going Virus was temped to play 'Find the Virus in a Few Weeks' with Trip and the others to try and relax, but the possibility of him actually doing that was slim to none and he knew it. So, regretfully, he crawled back in under his blankets and forced himself back into the loving embrace of Sleep herself.  
      His dreams were much more pleasant this time, thankfully. He dreamed of soft blond gripped tight in his hand and a warm tongue tickling his ear with cold metal pressed against his lobe and-  
     Dammit.  
     Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit. Now he was dreaming about the dirty sonofabitch. What was next, him suddenly developing actual FEELINGS for the ass? Virus snorted in his sleep and rolled over. Still, he couldn't deny the swelling between his legs at the thought of having the lithe body pressed beneath him and hearing soft pants in that deep voice over and over again, begging for more even as his body was screaming for rest. It would happen one day, and Virus secretly looked forward to that day in earnest.


	3. Heartbreak Blues

   3 Months Later

 

   Virus slowly rolled over out of bed, sleep still crusting his eyes closed. He'd had a very fitful night of sleep, most of his dreams being invaded by a certain blond brat who wouldn't keep out. Virus could practically hear him laughing maniacally from across the city, as if he knew what he was doing to the stoic immortal. 'What the hell? Am I really turning into Trip? Hnnn...I'll have to stop this while I can.' He clasped his hands on top of the covers and sighed. He could hear Trip muttering to himself about some thing or another in his room and Aoba chuckling at his adorable and original swear words.

   “Let's see...we have to go out to the Residential District today. After that, we have to troll around for more Morphine members. When we're done with that, as far as I know, we should be free today. So after we're done I want to take you out for dinner,” Trip said. Aoba blinked and looked over at him.

   “Hmm...I don't think Noiz and I have any plans. Granny won't mind either, and I don't have work today. I think it would be nice,” he returned. Trip smiled and stepped back, admiring his image in a full-length mirror he had against the far wall.

   “Good. There's a nice restaurant that just opened up I want to take you too. I've been told they have really nice desserts there.” Aoba chuckled and sat up.

   “You only want to go because of the sweets! You don't even want to take me!” The blond smiled and turned to him.

   “That's not true! I do want to take you. We haven't had a proper date yet.” 'He's being surprisingly sweet with Aoba. It's unlike him,' Virus thought. He tugged his tie straight and smoothed his cuffs out. “Trip! Hurry it up, we're going to be late!”

   “I'm hurrying, dammit, calm down!”

 

   “Noiz! Noiz! Are you home?” Aoba called out. The blond hacker poked his head out from the kitchen.

   “I went over to your house this morning. Granny said you hadn't been home all night. Where were you?” he asked quietly. Aoba blushed and turned his head to the side.

   “I decided to go out for a walk. After that I stayed at Koujaku's for a little bit. Why do you ask?” he said quietly.

   “Because you told me Granny wanted you to be home early. She didn't mention that when I came to see her,” Noiz stated with a scowl. Aoba crossed his arms.

   “It might have slipped her mind. You know Granny forgets things sometimes.”

   “Not things like that.” Noiz cocked his hip out. “We both know that, Aoba. Is there something you're not telling me?” he prodded.

   “I told you, I stayed with Koujaku for a bit after I went for a walk! There's nothing else, dammit!” Aoba's fingers clenched painfully and dug into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

   “I'm finding that harder and harder to believe, you know.”

   “IT'S THE TRUTH!” The hacker flinched back as though he'd been struck. “Look, Noiz, I-”

   “Just stop.” Aoba wilted. “I'm sick of it. One moment you seem like you can't keep your hands off of me, and you don't want to even think about being apart from me, and then the next you seem like you could care less what happens to me. Make up your mind, or I'll make it up for you.” The pair stared each other down for what felt like an eternity until the front door opened.

   “Aoba! I'm here to pick you up for dinner!” Trip leaned in with a smile on his face. “Are you rea-” His smile dropped. “Oh. Shit.”

   “For all of our sakes, I hope this is a strictly platonic dinner,” Noiz growled. “Though given Trip's history, I think I'm going to assume it's not.”

   “No. It isn't.” Trip strode over to the blue-haired male and wrapped an arm loosely around him. “I was taking him out for a date.”

   “Hmph. Should have figured that's what happened. I just never thought it would be Trip,” Noiz sighed.

   “I don't mean to be a dick, but our reservation is for 7:30, and I would like to not be late for it.” The taller blond gently tugged his lover towards the front door, a triumphant grin settling on his lips. The door shut with a quiet click just as Noiz fell to the floor.

   How had this happened? Was it something Noiz had done? He couldn't remember Aoba ever saying that he was angry, or that anything Noiz did was annoying. After all, Aoba helped him feel! For fuck's sake, he was the reason Noiz could feel anything, and he just ran off!?

   He punched the floor beneath him, ignoring the searing pain he now felt as his knuckles split open from the repeated abuse. He wasn't sure how long he was swinging before he heard the front door open again.

   “Go the fuck away, Aoba. I don't want to talk to you right now.”

   “Good. Because I'm not Aoba.” Green eyes slowly raised to lock with bright blue.

   “Virus. What are you doing here? Are you going to try rubbing it in my face that your ' _acquaintance_ ' stole my boyfriend from me?” Noiz growled.

   “No. I'm here to console you. Would it have hurt any less had you known sooner?” the yakuza asked quietly.

   “Of course it would have! Then I wouldn't have had that bastard leading me on, making me believe he loved me and that he genuinely cared for me!”

   “Are you sure?” Virus continued. “Think. You were already so attached to him for some time before tonight. Three months isn't a very long time if you think about it-”

   “Maybe to you, asshole, but to me three months meant the difference between affection and love!” the younger screeched at him. Blood dripped steadily onto his clothes from his hands. “Why...?”

   “Through no fault of his own, I assure you,” Virus whispered. He stepped over to the younger blond and knelt down, taking both of Noiz's hands in his. “This is Trip's fault, and if I could fix it, believe me, I would. I don't like seeing others in pain.” Gently he let his lips brush against bright crimson, tongue flicking out to taste it. Just as sweet as he had thought it would be. The fire that had been kindling for months now began to burn brighter.

   “And how is this Trip's fault when it was Aoba who left with him? He wasn't being forced, he wasn't being dragged. He willingly left.” Noiz's voice broke every few seconds. The pain was audible, and it made Virus's heart hurt. He hadn't felt that sensation in nearly a hundred years. Not since he'd last fallen in love.

   “Just trust me when I say this,” the vampire muttered, kissing the damage again. “You hurt yourself pretty badly. Let me fix this-”

   “No. I don't want you do. I want these to scar over, to remind _him_ of what happened the next time he sees me.” A thumb came up to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall.

   “Why would you want to do that? The next time Aoba sees you he likely won't even care that he hurt you,” Virus muttered while gently forcing Noiz to his feet. “Why not prove to him that you're stronger than that?” Slowly, ever so slowly, he guided the other back into his bedroom and onto his bed. “Aoba hurt you, yes. I can feel that. But you're not hurt as badly as you think you are.”

   “And how would you know how badly I'm hurt? Hmm? How would you know the pain I'm feeling right now?” Noiz deadpanned. Without thinking Virus answered him.

   “Because I can feel your emotions. Your mind is screaming that your heart is hurt, but your heart knows it's barely wounded. Already it's beginning to patch itself back together. The ache won't remain for long, I can promise you this.” His lips pressed softly into the bloody wounds.

   “How...?”

   “You needn't worry yourself with that just yet, Noiz.” Both of his hands squeezed the younger's tightly. “For now, let me take care of this for you.”

   “...Alright.” Virus backed towards Noiz's dresser and pulled out the small first aid kit left in there for just such a purpose. “Why do you care whether or not I'm in pain?”

   “...I don't feel I need to answer that,” Virus returned. He set the box on the bed and flicked the lid open. “You can feel now, so what I'm about to do will probably sting like hell. Be prepared.”

   “Hmph. It can't be that bad.” Virus paused to look up, fingers pulling the packet with the alcohol pad open.

   “I wouldn't be too sure, Noiz. Hold your hands out.” The younger blond held his hands out with a scowl.

   “Don't act like it's going to hu-HOLY SHIT!” Noiz hissed and jerked his left hand back from the stinging sensation. “What the hell!?” 

   “That would be the alcohol disinfecting the wound. Now give me your other hand, I need to take care of that one too,” Virus ordered. He repeated the process with the other hand before slapping a gauze pad over them and wrapping them tightly. “There. Your hand will probably sting for a few days. I'll be back tomorrow to change the dressings and make sure they're not getting infected. Promise me you won't do anything stupid that would split your knuckles back open.”

   “Why?”

   “Stop asking questions and just do what I tell you.” Noiz shrugged and leaned back onto his bed nonchalantly as Virus picked himself up.

   “Fine. Just hurry up and leave, dammit.” The elder blond shrugged and pivoted.

   “See you tomorrow, then, Noiz,” he sighed, letting himself out. He flicked his sleeve up to check his Coil for time and found a message.

 

   Aoba and I will be back tonight around 9. We have tomorrow off. Make sure you've fed tonight.

        Trip

 

   'Grrr...damn that idiot fledgling...I swear, I need to kick his ass when I get the chance. He's going to be the death of me.' He would have continued his mental rant, had his stomach not begun screaming at him that he was, indeed, hungry, and that the small taste of Noiz's blood wasn't quite enough to curb the blood lust. Sighing in defeat he disappeared into the shadows to find a quiet and easy snack to munch on before returning home to find the small shared apartment in disarray, Trip and Aoba wrapped up in a blanket in the center of the floor, and the blue-haired male out cold with his head propped up in the fledgling's lap.

   “I would like to formally apologize for this. Aoba couldn't wait to make it to our bedroom,” he apologize.

   “You make it sound as if he already lives with us,” Virus snapped.

   “Only if you'll let him. And I'd really like it if you would...” The pleading look in piercing blue eyes actually struck a chord in Virus's chest.

   “Dammit...fine. But he's not to know ANYTHING about us. Got it?” he warned, eyes narrowing to drive his point home.

   “Of course. He won't know a thing. He and I will go get his things from Noiz's and Granny's tomorrow then. Thank you, Sire,” Trip sighed with a smile. “I promise, he won't cause you any problems. I'll make sure of it.”

   “He'd better not, or I won't hesitate to drain every last drop of blood from his body and leave his body to rot in a back alley. Do I make myself clear?”

   “Yes, Sir.” His head bowed slightly.

   “Good. Then I'm going to sleep. Keep it down so I can actually sleep tonight.” He trudged off to his room, slowly removing his clothing until he was stark naked before crawling into his warm bed and curling into a tight ball. It didn't take him long before he finally drifted off into a still-fitful sleep.

 


	4. Cutting Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the delay. Life got in the way.

That night Virus had a painful dream.  
_Dull brown eyes pleaded with him. Pain swirled in them, begging to be eased._  
 _He snapped his head to the side. 'Fuck...not now...'_  
 _"P...Please...I can't...die..."_  
 _"Hmph." But his heart still clutched painfully in his chest. It was his fault, after all. If it hadn't been for him and his stupidity-_  
"Stop it..." Virus pleaded quietly.  
_"Understand that this will be painful. There's no way around that."_  
 _"I...understand..." Trip whispered quietly.Virus knelt down beside the blond and pulled him into a sitting position._  
 _"Understand that I will have complete control over you for forty years." Gently he pushed Trip's head to the side._  
 _"I...understand..." he answered, quieter than before._  
 _"Then you're mine, now." His fangs sunk in painfully. Trip gave a feeble cry and clutched weakly at him. His heartbeat slowed, slowed, slowed..._  
 _It was barely beating when Virus pulled away, sliced a line across his wrist, and held the bleeding appendage over the younger's mouth._  
 _"Drink. Otherwise you're as good as dead," he growled. A beat later and soft lips closed around his wrist. At first they were gentle, then more pressure, and soon Trip was biting down full force to push more of that sweet liquid from Virus's veins. A painful spasm wracked Trip's body and sent him wirithing on the floor, screams of agony and pleads for death ringing out in the old warehouse they were in. Tears streamed down his cheeks._  
 _"I told you it would be painful," Virus sneered at the fledgling. "You chose your path. Now walk down it to the end."_  
"Virus." His eyes snapped open. Bright blue eyes stared down worriedly at him. "Are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare," Trip asked.  
"I'm fine," Virus answered quickly. "What time is it?"  
"Nine thirty. Aoba and I were about to collect his belongings," the younger answered.  
"I don't think it would be good for Noiz if he was there when you did. Let me get him out of the apartment to distract him," the taller muttered.  
"Oh? Are we beginning to have feelings for the little runt? That's unlike you, Sire," Trip sneered.  
"Shut it, Trip, and give me thirty minutes."  
"Fine. Thirty minutes. If he's still there, then too bad," Trip said before pivoting and gliding out. Virus shook his head to force himself awake and flopped out of bed.  
'Thirty minutes is more than I need,' Virus thought to himself as he began hunting for his clothes.

"Message from Virus!" Noiz blinked in confusion before turning to where his Coil lay.  
"From Virus...?" he muttered to no one. Sure enough, the yakuza's name blinked up at him.

Be ready in 15.  
Virus

"Tch. Why the hell should I listen to that asshole?" he asked quietly. "I could stay in bed all day and be perfectly happy. Why should I let myself get dragged off for whatever reason?" While his voice continued buzzing in his ears, his body began moving on its own, pulling clean clothes from among his things. It wasn't until he was throwing his jacket on that he realized what he'd done. "Dammit..."  
Knock knock knock.  
"It's unlocked," the blond called out. A sweet smell drifted across the room to him. "Perfume?"  
"Trip had a woman over last night," he lied easily. To be honest he'd found himself holding a female fledgling as she died of starvation the night before and hadn't bothered to change his clothes. "Does the smell bother you?"  
"No, it just confused me, is all," Noiz explained. After a moment he looked away with what looked like the beginning of a blush on his cheeks. "Why are you here?"  
"The last place you need to be is cooped up here. Why don't we go out for a few hours, hmm?" Virus suggested.  
"Why should I? And why are you suddenly so concerned with me? Is Trip planning something?"  
"No." Virus was suddenly thankful for the extra time he'd had to learn the art of schooling his emotions. Only a psychic would have known he was lying this time. "And to answer your question, I've already said that I don't like seeing people hurt." Green eyes mocked him.  
"Bullshit. You don't like using violence. There's a difference."  
"Abuse of the mind is still abuse, Noiz. It's a form of violence. Why are you so reluctant to leave here?" The other's face shifted for a brief second. Virus had struck a nerve.  
"...Fine. Where are we going?" he asked weakly.  
"Just out around the city. Nowhere in particular, unless you had somewhere in mind. Do you?" he asked. Noiz contemplated for a moment before shaking his head. "Then let's go." Noiz paused for a moment, stuck to the floor beneath his feet. They wouldn't let him move. Virus had to tug him along, carefully leading him down the stairs and on to the street. Just as they turned the corner Virus heard his fledgling's voice from the opposite direction.  
"Aoba, please, relax. I don't like seeing you strung up like this," Trip cooed.  
"I'm just nervous about seeing Noiz again, is all. I did leave kind of suddenly last time...do you think he's still pissed?" Aoba asked.  
"We'll find out when we get there, now won't we?" Trip answered, hand coming up to pat his lover's shoulder softly. "Just relax okay?"  
"Okay..." Aoba rapped his knuckles on the door three times. "Noiz? Are you here?" Silence answered him. "He's not here..."  
"Does he keep a spare key anywhere?" Trip asked.  
"Yeah. Hang on a minute." Aoba began groping the wall and muttering to himself. His hand disappeared into the wall and came back clutching a key.  
"What...?"  
"Hologram. Noiz thought it was a smarter idea then hiding it above the door frame or under a mat," the mortal answered. "I hope he doesn't mind me taking my things..."  
"They're your things, why would that be a problem? Come on, I'd rather like to spend the rest of today curled up in bed doing nothing." Aoba nodded, then unlocked and opened the door.  
"Intruder! Intruder! Identify! Identify!"  
"Pseudo Rabbit, it's me, Aoba!" The small cube silenced itself. "Process complete! Message beginning!"  
"Message...?"  
"Hey. If you're hearing this, you obviously decided to come get your things while I was gone." Trip picked the small object up and studied it. "My only request is don't take any of my shit. And your jacket is in the bedroom under the bed on your side, before you get aggravated and can't find it." Click!  
"Message ending. Returning to sleep mode!"  
"Hmph. Didn't even tell you goodbye," Trip muttered. "How lovely."  
"He never really spoke much about his emotions, even before this...incident..." the younger explained. "I have a bag in the closet, where Ren is...where is Ren?"  
"Aoba-san." A small blue puffball poked its head out from a cracked door.  
"Ren! Where were you?"  
"In sleep mode, at the foot of the bed. Noiz seemed distraught last night. Is everything okay?" he asked.  
"No, Ren. We're moving out," his master said. Ren's head tilted.  
"Where?"  
"With Virus and Trip," he said quickly.  
"Hmm. Is that why Virus was here this morning?" Both Aoba and Trip turned to him.  
"He was here?" the mortal squeaked?  
"Yes. Roughly thirty minutes ago. He left fifteen minutes ago with Noiz." Dark yellow eyes met bright blue.  
"You asked Virus to get rid of Noiz!"  
"I didn't want you two seeing each other again and starting a fight," Trip defended. "I'm trying to avoid a scene as well as trouble." Aoba deflated and stared at his feet.  
"Yeah...it's probably best that way," he whispered. "Right...let's hurry and get my things. Knowing Noiz, he won't be gone much longer." Aoba began digging around among the trinkets and clothes lying haphazardly around the apartment.  
Ren watched with mild worry as Aoba's expression shifted constantly.

Noiz suddenly glanced down at his hip.  
"Hmm? Is something wrong, Noiz?" Virus asked.  
"Aoba's in the apartment. He must be getting his things," he stated absently. His face twisted for a brief second. "I don't want to see him."  
"Then don't go," Virus said. "Stay away. I'm sure he won't be long.  
"Their eyes met.  
"Thank you," Noiz suddenly said. Virus blinked.  
"Hmm?"  
"I know you were asked to keep me busy while there." The elder blond just smiled weakly.  
"...Perhaps," he returned calmly. A matching smile came upon Noiz's lips. "Is there anything you need to do while we're out?"  
"I do need a few new computer parts. I need to rebuild one of Pseudo Rabbit's cubes Ren got a little rough with." The pair continued down the crowded street.  
"Let me take care of that, then," Virus quipped.  
"Why...?"  
"Allow this to be an informal apology for my...associate's behavior. I'm sure it won't be enough, but let it be a start." After a moment's pause the hacker nodded.  
"A start. I think it's only fair, given that I know he won't be the one to apologize to me," Noiz joked. "He doesn't strike me as the type to stoop so low."  
"You aren't too far off the mark," the immortal added. "I still can't get him to apologize for something he did five years ago."  
"That bad?"  
"You have no idea just how bad it is." Their chatter continued until Noiz came to a stop.  
"Wait out here. I won't be long." He disappeared into a small shop with little more than a wave. Virus propped his back against a wall and checked his Coil. Two messages.

Is he gone?  
Trip

We're finished. See you back home.  
Trip

The vampire cracked a grin and dropped his arm against his side. 'That damn fledgling is going to drive me nuts one day.' He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small nail file. He cleaned up a few sharp edges and returned it to his pocket just as Noiz reappeared.  
"Took longer than I expected. I'm sorry about that," Noiz mumbled.  
"Is something wrong?" Virus prodded.  
"No," the other snapped. Without warning Virus's hand shot out to grab the hacker's arm.  
"Something is bothering you." Neither moved for what felt like an eternity until Virus loosened his grip. "My apologies."  
"He's gone." It was obvious what he meant. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. "He took everything of his. There's nothing left." After a few choked breaths he whispered, "Shit..."  
"Would you like to go back now?" Virus asked quietly.  
"Yes..." came a quiet reply.  
"Come." Virus let an arm wrap loosely around the younger's shoulders to pull him along. It was as if Noiz had shut down. His face was blank, his eyes dull and set straight forward. He didn't even react when three people bumped into him in a row. His back was also hunched, and his arms hung loosely at his side. This whole fiasco had obviously taken a terrible toll on him. "Would you like me to get you something on the way back?"  
"No..." 'Shit...he's dead right now. This sin't good. I need to try and snap him out of it.'  
"Noiz...perhaps you shouldn't-"  
"Stop. Just...stop trying to comfort me. I don't need it," he growled.  
"I beg to differ, you know. You're hostile. Defensive." Noiz fumbled with his keys . "You're acting like I'm trying to hurt you."  
"How do I know you're not?" the hacker spat back. He nearly kicked his door open to get in.  
"IF I WAS going to hurt you, I think I already would have," Virus said. He followed the mortal, watching Noiz progressively tense up.  
"You're friends with Trip, his main goal as of late seems to be be hurting me."  
"I'm not Trip, now am I?" He didn't like where this was going. Noiz was getting more agitated, a vein visibly throbbing on the side of his head.  
"Pfft. Whatever." Noiz ripped his beanie from his head and threw it on the back of his couch. His jacket followed shortly after.  
"Are you really going to argue with me like this after everything I've done for you?" Virus asked. "After all the times I've patched you up you're going to act like an ass with me?"  
"You're just wanting something out of me," Noiz spat back. "It's the only reason anyone is ever nice to me."  
"That's not true!"  
"Oh, like the big bad yakuza is going to be the one to actually care for me. I'm not stu-" The air shot out of his lungs as his back hit the floor. Virus pinned both of the younger's shoulders firmly to the hardwood beneath him.  
"Stop." Noiz glared daggers up at him. "There's no point in you arguing with me. I'm trying to help you, stupid. Not hurt you."  
"Why should I believe you?" came Noiz's retort.  
"Because if I was trying to hurt you I would have likely done it by now." Virus shifted a bit and set one knee between his captive's leg. "Either I would have left you to die." A palm came to rest beside a pierced face. "Or I would have let Trip kill you." Virus's nose came to rest inches above Noiz's. "Or I would have left you, just like Aoba." Silence passed between them for nearly five minutes before Noiz spoke.  
"...Really...?" he whispered weakly.  
"Of course. I don't care much for lies. Call it a quirk, considering what I do for a living," Virus pointed out with a smile.  
"I've noticed that," Noiz said. His heart was pounding in his ears. What was going on? Virus moved, more than aware of Noiz's racing heart. "Hey, Virus..."  
"Hmm?"  
"Why are you laying on top of me like this?"  
"It made you listen to me, didn't it?" he asked.  
"Hmph." Without warning Noiz shot up, slamming his lips roughly against Virus's. His fingers sifted through beautiful blond strands before gripping tightly. Virus gave in and kissed him back just as fiercely. It wasn't long before a battle for dominance had ensued, tongues jabbing and swatting at each other to force the other into submission. Neither one was keen on letting the other and used every tactic they knew to ensure it. Finally a well-placed bite to a soft tongue put Noiz into his place and drew a wonderful moan that sent Virus's stomach every which way. When it had finally settled he pulled away.  
"What brought that on?" he purred lowly. His tongue swiped gently across Noiz's bottom lip.  
"Not entirely sure, actually. Spur of the moment thing, it seems," he replied, eyes glinting dangerously. "I seem to be notorious for that"  
"From what I've heard and gathered, I would assume so," Virus returned. They kissed again, hands drifting away from hair and beginning to grope, squeeze,and touch anything and everything they could come in contact with. Noiz quickly found himself devoid of any clothing above his waist, and Virus's jacket was hanging open with his shirt only half-buttoned when a quiet ringing killed the mood. Virus groaned and looked down at his Coil.

Hurry back, we have business in the morning.  
Trip

"Goddammit..." he muttered softly to himself.  
"Have to leave?" Noiz asked.  
"It would appear so. I'm afraid we'll have to continue this later,' he growled. Noiz shrugged and slid out from under the taller, then straightened his hair out. Virus straightened himself up as well, quickly buttoning his shirt back and clasping his jacket back closed as well. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw Noiz trying to hide a blush. "I'm not sure how long I'll be tomorrow, but I'll at least try to come visit."  
"Hmm." Virus almost took the short response as a brush off, until he noticed Noiz quietly shifting his legs and intentionally avoiding eye-contact with the immortal. Honestly, it was kind of cute.  
But alas, Virus's schedule was, indeed, full tomorrow, and before he went to sleep he had to feed, which would take up at least half an hour of his time.  
"Goodnight, Noiz."  
"Night," the younger muttered in response. Virus found himself grinning lightly as he left.  
The day had certainly turned out interesting, to say the least. He'd been rudely awoken, yes, but he'd managed to spend time with the Noiz outside of his apartment, kept Trip and Aoba away from Noiz to avoid more damage as well as a scene, and had found himself on top of Noiz, kissing him and coming within inches of screwing the mortal's brains out.  
He was quite tempted, honestly, to turn around, pin Noiz to his bed, and fuck him until Noiz screamed his name for so long and so loud that he lost his voice for at least a week.  
Fuck, it had been a while since he'd had sex. The fact that he'd found Trip and Aoba in their living room the night before didn't help his situation.  
After what had happened that night, there was no way in Hell he could make it another month without fucking Noiz. Judging from the other blond's reactions, he wouldn't wait either.


	5. Infected

Noiz dragged himself into his shower after Virus left and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it. The scalding water felt amazing on his skin. He began washing his hair and cleaning the many piercings he had without acknowledging he was doing it. When he'd finished he gently touched his lips. Virus had kissed him so suddenly ...and it was such a good kiss, too...  
"Fuck..." He slammed the water off and stomped into his bedroom without bothering to towel off. He figured the heat from his embarrassment would do the trick and dry him off well enough. Without thinking he flipped his T.V on.  
"...murdered. The victim was a 23 year-old male, and was found in a back alley with his throat slit open. Police are suspecting a yakuza contract."  
"Hmph. Virus might have had something to do with it. Wouldn't surprise me if he did."  
"Police also found a small clump of bloody blue hair at the foot of the victim." Noiz froze.  
"Aoba...?"

Virus woke from a dead sleep for what seemed to be absolutely no reason. He felt wide awake suddenly, and reached over for his glasses and Coil. Maybe he had a message.  
One, but he'd gotten it nearly an hour ago.

Heading out with Aoba.  
Trip

Then why the hell did I wake up...?" he muttered to himself. Then it hit him.  
There was a third presence drifting just at the edge of his mind that he was now attached to. His blood began to boil.  
"TRIP, GODDAMMIT!" He threw his covers off, threw a robe on, and stormed over to his fledgling's room. It had been untouched for nearly three hours. "I swear, if that asshole did what I think he did..."

Trip, for both your sake and mine, you'd better NOT have turned Aoba.

...No.  
"TRIP!" He called the little bastard and was certain that if looks could kill, the glare he gave Trip would have killed him a year ago. "Where's Aoba?"  
"Virus, I-"  
"WHERE THE FUCK IS AOBA!?" he shrieked.  
"...He's beside me," Trip finally answered, moving to where his sire could see the younger male. His eyes glowed bright red with the tell-tale sign of a just-turned vampire.  
"Goddammit, Trip, what the fuck were you thinking!? You should know better than this!"  
"I'm sorry, Virus, but-"  
"No 'buts,' Trip. You won't leave because you don't think you'll make it on your own, and yet you TURNED AOBA? What makes you think that I'll help you take care of him?"  
"I'll be your servant the entire fifty years. No questions asked," Trip answered. Virus didn't hesitate to answer.  
"Fine. Has he fed already?"  
"Yes. He was surprisingly controlled for a fledgling's first feeding. I don't foresee many troubles out of him."  
"How is he handling this?" came Virus's next question.  
"He seems like he's still a bit shocked, but I'm sure he'll recover soon. We're at Granny's right now. She's not here at the moment," Trip explained.  
"Hmph. Bring him home. He doesn't need to be alone with just you," Virus said.  
"Understood. We'll be home in thirty minutes."  
"Good. Bye bye."  
"Bye bye." The image flickered out, leaving dead silence in its place. The last thing he needed or even wanted was to have a new fledgling to take care of, and yet Aoba was nor pretty much in his care. He could feel fifty years worth of headaches already beginning to build. His Coil sounded again. It was Noiz...calling...?  
"It's odd for you to call me, Noiz. Is something wrong?" he asked.  
"Where's Aoba?" the mortal asked.  
"Out with Trip. Why?" Even he was slightly puzzled.  
"Have you need seen the news? There's been a murder. They think it's yakuza." Virus merely blinked at the hacker. "They found blue hair at the crime scene." Virus swallowed hard. 'Trip said Aoba controlled himself. He would have told me if he wasn't. Unless...' He shook his head from side to side.  
"It likely wasn't Aoba. Trip isn't stupid enough to get Aoba involved in our work." He mentally laughed at the irony of that statement. "If he did that I'd shoot him myself," he answered quickly.  
"We may have had a nasty breakup, but I'm still worried about him. You'd better not be lying to me, dammit," Noiz warned.  
"I understand ," Virus returned. "Was there any other purpose than to complain to me about what your ex-boyfriend might be doing?" Silence came in answer. "Then I would like to sleep, so I'm going to turn in. Goodnight, Noiz, and I'll see you again tomorrow." He ended the call, dropped his Coil on his nightstand, and flopped into bed.  
Now that he was maintaining a consistent relationship with Noiz, he was feeling more and more stressed every day. More than likely he was merely pushing his own faults and complaints on the poor boy, but that still didn't stop him from doing it. He growled and rolled onto his side.  
"Don't blame him for your shortcommings, asshole. Keep it together." Virus snatched his pillow up and slammed it over his head to maybe block the buzzing in his ears. It didn't work of course.  
"...Fuck..." He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. How long had it been since he'd been in bed with another, wrapped up in each other's arms, listening to each other's heartbeat?  
Far too long, he realized with a grimace. He'd become so lonely he'd begun to take his frustrations out on a person he wanted to make his. His arm came up to cover his eyes as he took a deep breath. "Goddammit...," he hissed before hopping out of bed. He was going to regret what he was about to do later but dammit, he was going to enjoy it now.

Noiz rubbed his eyes sleepily as he stared at his computer screen. It was about three in the morning and he knew he should already be in bed. But he couldn't sleep for some reason. He almost never suffered like this. What was keeping him awake.  
Knock. Knock. Knock.  
They were so quiet Noiz almost didn't hear them. When he finally realized someone was knocking he dragged himself out of bed with a few choice German swears.  
"I didn't think I deserved such terrible words," a smooth voice said. Noiz blinked a few times before he registered who he was seeing.  
"Virus...?" Noiz whispered as he flicked his locks open. "What are you doing he-"  
Holy fuck, Virus was a good kisser. In a split second he found himself pinned against his door with Virus's hands crawling across every inch of his skin. The kiss made him heady, the head spreading across his body. Suddenly he was left panting with a trail of drool dripping down his chin. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and stared into shocking blue eyes.  
"Yes or no?" Virus asked him.  
"What...?"  
"Answer me. Yes or no?" he pressed. Noiz blinked twice.  
"Yes," he answered.  
"Good choice. Rough or gentle?"  
"Make sure you fuck me up good," Noiz spat before pulling Virus back into a heated kiss. His fingers slipped up to quickly remove the taller blond's tie before dropping down to pop the buttons open on his shirt. Both shirt and jacket hit the floor together before Noiz jerked. Virus had scraped a fingernail across a bare nipple. "V-Virus..." he stuttered. A shiver shot through Virus's back at the sound. "I said be rough..." The taller blond put his rips right against Noiz's ear.  
"Is this rough enough for you?" he whispered before raking his nails down the front of the mortal's chest hard enough to raise welts. Noiz let out a low moan in response.  
"Yesss..." he groaned, rocking his hips up against the other's. "Stop dicking around, goddammit, and just fuck me already."  
"Patience is a virtue, Noiz. I want to have a little fun before that," he purred, flicking his tongue against one of Noiz's ear piercings, then tugging at it with his teeth. His nails dug into Noiz's hips to leave bright red crescent marks.  
"F-fuck," the hacker whined. He begin fumbling with Virus's belt and managed to loosen it before his hands were held firmly above his head. Their noses brushed together.  
"Ah ah ah. I don't think so, Noiz. I said I wanted to have fun." Virus pressed himself flat to the mortal and smiled crookedly. "I meant that." Noiz's eyes flashed dangerously, fight burning bright in them. Still, he had a slight yet visible tremor in his shoulders.  
"You can have fun while you're scr-fuck!" Virus lurched down and bit harshly on the crook of Noiz's neck. Noiz's back arched, pushing their chests together. "I said. Fuck. Me."  
"And I said no," Virus snapped back. His hand twined in short blond feathers to pull harshly. "I'm sorry, but who's the one begging to get screwed? Sorry, but we're doing things my way tonight. Now on your knees." The mortal didn't move. "I said on." He bit a pale neck again. "Your." He let his fingers clamp down, digging into Noiz's wrists. "Knees." His other hand dropped down to squeeze at Noiz's crotch. Instead of obeying, Noiz simply stared back at him. His knees were visibly shaking. The vampire smirked and released Noiz's wrist; the smaller blond hit the floor immediately. He felt a little bad for the poor boy now.  
However, the sigh of him staring up with flushed skin and glazed eyes scrambled those thoughts.  
"You know what I want," Virus whispered. He pulled Noiz's chin up slightly.  
"And why should I do that?" the younger fought.  
"Because if you don't," Virus argued. "I'm just going to go and leave you here to suffer while I-" A slight smile crossed his lips. Noiz was already pulling his length from his boxers. "Good boy."  
"Shut up, bastard," Noiz growled before pulling Virus's length into his mouth. He grinned at the soft gasp above him.  
"Noiz," the vampire sighed, fingers burrying in blond hair to give his hands something to do. Noiz's head began bobbing slowly. His tongue flicked at the tip, making sure to press the metal ball in the center o his tongue against the sensitive slit at the tip. Each touch pulled a shudder or a gasp from the immortal. Without being told he took two of his fingers into his mouth and circled his tongue around them along with the swollen crimson tip of Virus's cock.  
"Someone's acting like an eager slut," the taller commented. Noiz glared at him hard before before pulling away to speak clearly.  
"Keep that up and I'll be the one to leave," he threatened.  
"Would you be able to handle it? Because I can easily find another willing and more able body," he calmly returned. After a moment's pause the younger reached behind him and pushed in digit with a gasp. "I thought so."  
"Don't get cocky, Virus. I can still walk away you know," Noiz panted. The glint in his eyes burned brighter, like a raging forest fire. It still hadn't burned itself out yet, even in this submissive position. Virus loved it. He drank it every ounce of it in like it was some kind of drug. Part of him almost wanted to let Noiz top instead. But that was for another time. Tonight Noiz was his.  
"Hurry," Noiz whimpered, face flushed, brows furrowed, and eyes lidded. Virus's cock twitched.  
"Stand up." The mortal stood slowly and let out a cry when he was slammed back up against his door. Now wrap your legs around me." He wrapped one leg loosely around Virus's slim waist, waiting until Virus had a good grip on his leg before throwing the other one up around. They linked at the ankles loosely. "Ready?"  
"Just shut up and fuck me already, Virus."  
"As you wish." One hand gripped at Noiz's ass to hold him steady, the other grabbing roughly at Noiz's hair, and Virus thrust home in one movement. Their lips latched to muffle Noiz's cry. After a moment they broke apart.  
"Fuck, that actually hurt," he whined.  
"I tried to take it easy," Virus jeered in his ear softly. His tongue flicked out to curl around the shell before drifting down his skin and leaving a trail of saliva down to where his pulse beat just beneath the skin. "But someone was getting impatient..."  
"Shut up," Noiz breathed. He felt Virus shift around inside of him and he tensed.  
"Hurt?"  
"No...felt good..." He moaned again, and Noiz swallowed. "Fuck..."  
"Hmph." Virus began a slow pace, enjoying every reaction he could pull from the younger. A thrust of his hips there his eyes would close; a particularly deep thrust and Noiz would tense up and sigh quietly. He wouldn't admit it but Noiz enjoyed the pace. But he still wanted a good, hard fuck.  
"Faster," he begged. His nails dug into Virus's back. A low groan came in answer.  
"Faster?"  
"Did I stutter?" He managed to lean forward enough to bite down on the taller's shoulder and was rewarded with a rough thrust that slammed him into the sturdy door.  
"Like that?" Virus asked.  
"Yes..." The vampire continued to pound into him, watching the fight slowly die down and be replaced a deep lusty haze.  
"You look so good like this," Virus panted. "Your eyes are so unfocused...I can tell you're drowning in pleasure right now." Noiz's hips began moving on their own, meeting Virus's pace thrust for thrust.  
"Harder..." Virus grinned and put both hands on Noiz's ass, shifted him just right, and began slamming straight into Noiz's prostate. "Virus!"  
"That's right...scream my name..." He began suckling all across the blond's neck and shoulders, nipping and biting at the skin to leave marks. Noiz was his and no one else's. "Mine."  
"Ah...hah...Virus...Virus..." His nails raked up Virus's shoulders, the scent of blood drifting up the yakuza's nose. More bloody lines appeared on his back moments later.  
Then Noiz began tensing. It was slight at first, only initiated with the rough contact of Virus's length against his sweet spot. Then it became more noticeable, his arms and legs tightening around the taller. He began audibly panting, and his head tilted back steadily.  
"So...close," Noiz whispered. He pressed himself flat to Virus's chest and began chanting his name in time with each movement of the other blond's hips. "Virus...Virus...Vi...Vi...!" His entire body locked up as he came, head forcing itself into the crook of the other's neck and mouth letting loose quiet whimpers.  
"No...iz..." With one last rough thrust he pinned Noiz's hips to the door and released inside him with a soft growl. Sweat trickled down both of their bodies. A few drops fell on the inside of Virus's lenses; both men were panting heavily.  
"Set...your legs down." Slowly Noiz's legs dropped down onto the carpet, albeit very shakily. "Thank you.." He watched as green eyes rolled back and what little tension remained in the mortal's body bled out. Virus's quick reflexes kept him from hitting the floor. After steadying himself he scooped the younger up bridal style and carried him back into his bedroom, setting him down gently on the small bed. He felt terrible for what he was going to do, but there was no other way. He'd barely managed to finish a rushed call with Trip before he'd made it to Noiz's place, and he had to make sure that the fledgling hadn't succeeded in destroying anything. Regretfully he cleaned up his mess (including what he'd left inside Noiz, as best he could) and quietly collected his clothes before letting himself out. The walk home didn't take near as long as it normally would. He let himself in and quietly made his way into bed. For the first time in months he didn't have any unpleasant nightmares, but instead sweet dreams of a blond human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way: You all lost the game.


	6. Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to sincerely apologize for the awkward update schedule for Hacker. College is a bitch and making it hard to do anything. I'll try and get more consistent with my updates, but no promises here.

Noiz flinched again as he accidentally sat back on his ass. Even after he'd taken medicine the throbbing back there persisted. Even with the pain driving him insane, he still wouldn't change anything from the night before.  
Well..he'd change one thing. He'd make sure Virus didn't leave while he was asleep. The fact that he left without a word is mostly what hurt him. When he woke that morning to an empty bed his stomach turned in on itself. He hadn't realized just how lonely he'd gotten until then, or just how much that bastard really meant to him. He'd waited for nearly six hours to hear anything from Virus. Silence.  
"Stupid jerk..." Noiz whispered. "Can't even bother to fucking talk to me. Just ignore me after fucking me senseless up against a wall. I hope something happens to your sorry ass." He hissed and shifted his weight around. At that moment he heard three quiet knocks. A quiet snarl came from Noiz's throat as he picked himself up. He began swearing in German again as he had the night before and jerked his door open.  
No Virus; instead, there was a small box with a note taped to the top.

I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly last night. I promise I'll be back after work today.  
Virus

Noiz clicked his tongue and left the box where it sat. He wasn't going to take something like this. It was basically a cheap apology for being a douche to him.

The smells of Midorijima drifted across the streets and clogged Virus's nose to the point where he felt ill. He never quite understood the alure of living in such a large city, honestly. It was stuffy, smelled awful most of the time (though Midorijima had clean air, it still hung heavy everywhere), and was confusing to navigate. Thankfully, though, he knew his way fairly well to Noiz's apartment, so there was no fear of getting lost. He shifted his gait a bit before continuing. He hopped up the stairs quickly and froze.  
The box he'd left was still there, completely sealed and untouched. Virus frowned and leaned down to scoop it up.  
"Huh. I wonder why he didn't get it? Has he maybe not checked his mail?" he wondered aloud, then knocked loudly. He used his thumb nail to slice the tape off and was about to open the box when the door creaked open. "Noiz. I-"  
"Go away." The door began to shut until Virus stuck his foot in the way.  
"Noiz, please-"  
"I said, go away." Virus was looking at him from an odd angle and it only made Noiz more aggravated. It looked like he was trying to look superior to him.  
"But-"  
"What part of 'go away' don't you fucking understand." Noiz growled before snapping, "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
"Hmm?" Virus blinked and tilted his head. "What do you mean?"  
"You're not looking straight at me, it's like you think I'm worthless or something. Look at me straight!" Virus sighed and turned his head.  
"Now will you listen to me?" he asked. Noiz waited for a few seconds before leaning against the door frame.  
"I'm on a time limit. You have two minutes."  
"Why are you mad at me?"  
"Why did you leave after I fell asleep last night?" Noiz growled.  
"I'm sorry for that, but Trip needed me. Aoba's not doing so well and Trip wanted me to get medicine for him." He watched Noiz's eyes roll and straightened up.  
"Yeah, right. I'm not stupid. Was I just supposed to be a one-night stand?" Virus cocked his hip out and bit his tongue to avoid snapping at him.  
"No. You were not meant to be a one-night stand. I wanted to stay last night. But things wouldn't let me. I left you this as an apology, but obviously you were mad at me and didn't open it." Virus opened the box and held it out for Noiz to look inside. It was a small cake, in almost pristine condition because of the still-cold morning temperatures. He smiled weakly and said, "It's German chocolate." With breath held he waited for Noiz's reaction; after a moment the younger blond began laughing quietly.  
"That's amusing. That's VERY amusing." Virus smiled and looked at him.  
"So can I come in?" he asked tentatively. Noiz took a deep breath before looking down at his feet.  
"Yeah." Noiz carried the cake into his living room and set it on the coffee table on his pass to the kitchen. "You want anything to drink?"  
"No, thank you. I'm fine." Virus took a deep breath and smiled to himself. Crisis averted. He was scared he was going to have to Compel Noiz into forgiving him. He would have felt terrible for that.  
"You sure?" Noiz pressed  
"Quite positive." He saw Noiz shrug and pull out a can of soda. "Are you still sore?"  
"A little bit," Noiz said slowly. "But it isn't an unpleasant pain." He walked back over to where Virus stood and took a sip. "You gonna sit or not?"  
"Sorry. Was waiting to make sure it really was alright." He plopped himself down on the couch nearest him and looked around. "This place looks so bare now."  
"That's because Aoba was the one that had the trinkets here. I don't really have much." The flash of pain that went through green eyes didn't go unnoticed. "At this point I'm tempted to move back to Germany with my family."  
"Don't do that," Virus said quickly. He felt a gentle redness come across his cheeks. He hadn't meant to respond so quickly, or sound so eager about it.  
"Why shouldn't I? It's not like I really have anything else here. At least back home I'll have my family, and now that I can feel...they'll be more accepting of me. Perhaps my mother will actually acknowledge my existence now and my father won't curse me with every breath..." Noiz muttered. In the minute and a half it took Noiz to finish his sentence Virus had shattered completely.  
He'd said he didn't have anything, and yet he looked like he was ready to cry and rip him a new one earlier over leaving after sex. One moment it was like Noiz wanted nothing more than to stay with Virus, and the next he could care less. From what Trip had told him it seemed to have been the same with Noiz and Aoba. He felt his heart clench.  
"If you think things will work better for you in Germany..." he began. His mouth wouldn't let him finish the sentence. "No. You're staying here. I don't care what you think."  
"Pfft. Why should I let you control me?" Noiz threw his shirt off and tossed his beanie on the coffee table. "It's not important to you whether I'm around." The next words out of Virus's mouth made him nearly sick.  
"Dammit, Noiz. Are you that oblivious that you haven't figured out I actually care about you yet?" he hissed. After registering what he'd said Virus felt his face heat up bright red. 'Oh, hell, I did not just fucking say that.' Noiz had paused mid-drink and was now staring intently at him with bug eyes. 'I just fucking said that.'  
"Virus...?"  
"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that." He waved his hand and smiled nervously.  
"Oh. Slip of the tongue, I guess," Noiz said weakly. "It's fine..." Virus frowned quickly.  
"Noiz-"  
"Don't bother. It's fine, I understand." He leaned back against the arm of the couch and closed his eyes. For a brief second he felt something in his chest physically ache. He shoved his tongue into the back of his teeth to keep from saying anything he might regret. Something soft brushed against his lips and he reached up to smack at it, thinking it was just a bit of dust or something.  
"Ouch...that was my nose, you know." He cracked an eye open to see Virus rubbing at the tip of his nose, sitting inches from him on his knees beside the couch. "You didn't need to hit me, you know..."  
"I didn't know that was you, stupid. You should have told me," Noiz argued. He felt his face heat up a little bit.  
"Not telling is kind of...you know...the point behind a surprise..." Virus pointed out with a smile. Noiz pinched the bridge of his nose a little too hard and went cross-eyes. "Hmm?"  
"ACHOO!" He sniffled and shook his head slightly. "Sorry...if I touch my nose wrong it makes me sneeze..." Virus just stared at him in shock for a moment before busting out laughing. "What?"  
"I'm assuming it has something to do with those piercings you have up there?" he commented, reaching a finger out to poke one of the silver studs playfully.  
"Don't poke them, I'll snee...sneeeee...ACHOO!" The back of his hand smacked against Virus's nose. "Sorry..."  
"Ah, you didn't do anything. I'm the one who touched them," Virus said. "Though I guess I should have realized it when it happened the first time..."  
"Probably...you know, for a yakuza, sometimes you're not very sma-mmmnnnn..." His lips moved softly against Virus's, arms linking up around his neck to pull him closer. Hands squeezed softly at his hips, making him squirm around and blush slightly. Soft fingers pushed underneath his clothes to rub at his stomach and chest, sending strong shivers down his spine and making him push up against the vampire. The lips pressed against his curled up slightly into a smile.  
Virus could feel the heat rising up from Noiz's face and laughed to himself. A simple kiss was making someone as 'stoic' as Noiz blush, and a kiss from him nonetheless. Reluctantly the pair pulled apart for air.  
"What the hell was that for?" Noiz asked shakily.  
"Idiot," Virus whispered before pulling him in for another kiss. He'd been lying to himself for almost six months now, regarding the fact that he'd fallen for Noiz and fallen hard. Why should he lie to the man himself? The blush had grown even brighter on Noiz's face.  
"Shut it, bastard," he muttered. Virus chuckled to himself and ruffled the mortal's hair playfully.  
"You know, you're rather cute when you blush," he commented absently. Noiz pulled one of the pillows from under his head and smacked Virus in the face with it.  
"Shut it!" he yelled playfully. Virus pulled him off the couch with a second pillow in tow and hit the other blond back.  
"You're not the only one who knows how to fight with a pillow," he warned before dodging out of Noiz's next swing. "I spent far too much time training to keep myself from getting killed to fall to someone like you."  
"Someone like me? Do you think I can't fight?" Noiz jeered, swinging again and just barely missing Virus as he shot back. "Because if that's the case, you're sorely mistaken."  
"Oh, I believe you can fight." Virus hit him dead-center in the side of the face and sent him falling to the floor. "I just don't think you're as good as me."  
"You're dead wrong, asshole," Noiz warned. Before Noiz could move Virus jumped up onto his feet and back a few steps.  
"Then why don't you prove it to me?" Virus joked back. In a flash Noiz slammed him in the bottom of the jaw and sent him stumbling backwards. "That was a cheap shot!"  
"You call it a cheap shot, I call it a tactical strike," the mortal explained. The taller glared daggers at him and slammed him in the stomach hard enough to almost knock the wind from his lungs.  
"You mean like that?" Noiz waved his hand with the pillow in it in defeat and held his stomach.  
"That...hurt..." Virus shot forward to catch him as he fell.  
"I'm sorry," the vampire whispered in his ear. Noiz waved him off and forced himself to start taking deep breaths.  
"It's not...that bad..." he sighed. "Just...give me a...minute or two...to breathe..." Virus set him down onto the couch and dropped down onto floor beside him. "Shit, that hurt..."  
"I'm still sorry," Virus whispered. His head came to rest in Noiz's lap. Fingers began slowly sifting through his spikes affectionately.  
"Don't apologize. It's...it's fine. I think I...I think I can breathe now." Noiz patted him softly on the head and grinned weakly.  
"Noiz, do you have any plans tomorrow?" Virus asked suddenly. A pierced eyebrow arched up in question.  
"Not that I know of," Noiz answered. "What brought that on?"  
"Just curious," Virus returned quickly. On a whim he climbed up onto the couch, head still in Noiz's lap, and let himself begin to drift off. The feeling of fingers running through his hair felt nice; it was a feeling he hadn't felt in years. His ears picked up the rhythmic thump thump, thump thump of Noiz's heartbeat and smiled contently. He hadn't felt this peaceful in years.  
"Call from an unknown number!" Pseudo chimed suddenly. Noiz narrowed his eyes at the small cube and growled.  
"Who the hell is calling me?" he hissed.  
"I'm not sure, just ignore it," Virus moaned sleepily. He nuzzled his face into Noiz's lap and sighed. Just a minute later and his wrist began flashing at him. He cracked an eye to see who it was bothering him; Trip was calling him. "I fucking swear, it better be important for him to call me right fucking now..." Trip's image flashed up at him with bright, puffy red eyes and a bit of snot running down his nose. "Trip?"  
"Aoba's sick," he choked out in English. The color drained from his face instantly. His stomach curled in on itself and he nearly vomited the blood he'd drank earlier out onto Noiz's chest. "He's been throwing up all day and coughing up blood."  
"Trip, are you sure he didn't just drink some bad blood, or something?"  
"Positive. We fed from the same hunter. I'm perfectly fine, but he...he's..." Trip burst into tears. "He's not...gonna make it, is he...?"  
"I'm on my way back," Virus replied, switching back to Japanese. "I shouldn't be long."  
"Please hurry..." Trip let out a shaky breath before ending the call. Virus chewed at his lip and stood up.  
"I'm sorry Noiz, but something's come up," he explained.  
"Trip was crying...is it something to do with Aoba?" Noiz asked.  
"I'm afraid so. I'll come visit as soon as I can, I promise." It seemed the universe was trying everything to keep them apart, and normally Virus would have let it do its job. The two centuries he'd been alive had steeled him to the heartache and pain of living forever, but since he'd met Noiz, all he'd wanted was happiness.  
"I'll hold you do that, you know." Noiz pecked him on the cheek and patted his shoulder. "You should probably hurry. Leaving Trip alone in that state is probably not the best of ideas."  
"Probably not."


	7. Caught in the Rain

Virus looked over at the window and sighed. Trip's sobs were reaching to his room and making his heart clench with every sound.  
Aoba was dying, and there was no way to save him. Whatever had caused it, it didn't show signs of letting up. He'd been throwing up almost hourly for the past nine hours and was completely unable to hold down blood. What little color he had drained away long ago. His eyes were no longer their bright shade but instead a deathly yellow. Discolored splotches were taking over his flesh. The pained look in Trip's eyes when Virus had told him had nearly broken him. Trip had already suffered enough from the death of Virus's last fledgling... For Trip to lose his own would push him that final few feet over the edge. Virus was struggling to decide whether it would be better to kill him now while part of him was still there or wait until he was completely gone so he wouldn't have to bear the thought of murdering...  
...the man part of him was still in love with.  
Virus grit his teeth painfully. He and Trip were in the past. There was nothing left between them. Only pained memories and broken hearts remained. Virus had become so cold after te break up, now that he really thought about it. He would rarely smile, unless something genuinely amusing happened, which almost never happened anymore. When someone tried to touch him he would snatch away from them and flare his nostrils at them. If someone tried to strike up a conversation he would snarl at them until they took the hint and left him alone. Trip had become visibly withdrawn afterwards as well. There had been many times when Virus had found Trip bawling his eyes out and whimpering his name. The years since then had dulled him Trip's heartache. Eventually the younger had stopped pining over him visibly, but Virus could feel he still wanted his sire's love. Virus had been on the verge of caving before Aoba had stepped into the picture, and Noiz's subsequent appearance had pulled him farther away. But now all Virus wanted to do was pull Trip into his arms and make him forget the pain of everything.  
"What the hell has happened to me...?" he asked himself. "Noiz..." He felt his heart begin to flutter at the thought of the mortal. "Trip..." His body reacted similarly and made him grit his teeth again. "Why?" Hersha flicked his tongue at Virus's nose before craning his neck down to show the vampire's Coil around him.  
"Thank you, Herhsa," he whispered weakly, pulling his Coil from around his Allmate's neck and staring at it.

How's Trip?  
Noiz

Not very good. I don't want to leave him alone.  
Virus

Would you like me to come over?  
Noiz

Virus blanched. If Noiz came over he would likely find out about everything, and if that happened it would cause hell. Almost immediately another message came through.

Sei is taking a trip outside. I need you and Trip to guard him.  
Toue

Virus clicked his tongue and was about to answer when he stopped. If he could word things right, then...  
Ten minutes later and Virus was waiting in front of Noiz's door and tracking Sei's movements through his Coil. If Sei disappeared under his watch Toue would have his head on a platter.  
"Are you ready Noiz?" he asked impatiently.  
"Yeah. Where are we going, anyway?" Noix asked him."You still haven't told me."  
"I'm afraid my work his forcing me out of the house. Trip insisted I come by myself, and I didn't want to leave you alone. This will also give you a chance to meet one of my...acquaintances, you could say. I hope you don't mind tagging along as a temporary bodyguard. You shouldn't have to worry about anything too harrowing happening." Noiz shrugged and turned to lock his door.  
"I don't see why that would be a problem," he answered calmly. "Any specific place we'll be going?"  
"Wherever our charge decides," Virus answered. "We shouldn't be going too far from here."  
"That's not what I'm worried about," Noiz sighed before starting down the stairs in front of his apartment door. "I'm worried about running into the old man."  
"'Old man?'"  
"Koujaku," Noiz growled. Virus absently set hi hand on Noiz's back as they began walking.  
"You have a problem with him?" Virus asked. If Noiz knew about Koujaku being a half-demon, then bringing up the fact that he was a vampire would make things considerably easier.  
"He's Rib, I'm Rhyme. Enough said. Plus he's likely still pissed at me for 'stealing' Aoba from him," the blond explained. 'There went that possibility.'  
"Ah. That makes a lot of sens, I guess." Virus could still remember the days when he would spend almost every waking second Rhyming. The thrill of the fight still made his body thrum with energy.  
"So who, exactly, are we going to keep an eye on?" the mortal poked.  
"You'll meet him soon enough," Virus mused. A quick glance at his Coil showed him Sei hadn't moved in at least ten minutes. "He's not too far away now."

While Virus was walking with Noiz, Sei found himself enjoying an ice cream cone with a very close friend of his.  
Well, more like lover of his.  
"Thank you for the ice cream, Mizu-chan," Sei whispered happily. His legs kicked back and forth under the bench he sat on. A small smile curled his lips up.  
"You're welcome, Princess." Mizuki smiled back at him and went back to his ice cream. "You look beautiful today." A small blush began to creep up on the dark blue-haired male's face.  
"Thank you, Mizu-chan..." he said shyly. His skirt fluttered with each kick of his legs. He'd decided to wear a longer skirt than normal that day, the hem of it brushing the ankle of his boots. The heels were a bit higher than he would usually wear as well, only an inch or so more, but it was still a little weird to him. Sei forced himself to hold his voice steady as he continued with, "Virus should be here soon..."  
"Is he your guard today? Where's Trip?" Mizuki asked.  
"Apparently something's happened with Trip's fledgling, and he doesn't want to leave. So Toue's trusting Virus to keep an eye on me."  
"Is that honestly a good idea...? I mean, It's just Virus."  
"I actually Trust him more than I trust Trip," Sei admitted calmly. His head tilted adorably to the side and he quickly licked his treat. Mizuki found himself laughing softly, then reaching up to push Sei's hair back to look at him better.  
"You're absolutely gorgeous. You know that right?"  
"Mizuki, stop, you're making me blush!" Sei pushed him back softly and giggled.  
"There you are." Virus came to a stop and smiled. "I was hoping nothing had happened to y-" His eyes landed on Mizuki and narrowed. "Why is he here?"  
"Virus." Sei cocked his head and stared dead on at his bodyguard. His powers wouldn't affect Virus. While Sei was extremely powerful for his age, Virus was just old enough to shake his stare off. But he knew Virus would listen to him. He had to. "Leave Mizuki alone. He hasn't done anything to hurt me."  
"Hmph." There was nothing Virus could do now, so instead he decided to introduce Noiz to him.  
"'Sup, asshole." Virus whipped around and stared at Noiz. The mortal had a crooked grin plastered on his face as he walked right over to Sei.  
"Hello, Noiz. I haven't seen you in a while. Mizuki told me about what Aoba did to you. I feel terrible about that. I never would have thought Aoba would do that." Noiz just shrugged and plopped down next to Sei.  
"I didn't either. That's probably why it hurt me so much," he sighed.  
"You two...know each other?" Virus muttered.  
"Aoba and I were good friends," Mizuki began. "A few times we would go on double-dates, which is where Noiz and he met."  
"Sei isn't allowed outside but once a month. How...?"  
"Let's just say, security isn't exactly as thorough as you think it is," Mizuki teased with a smile. "I can't count the number of times I've managed to sneak Sei outside." Sei's only response was to grin sheepishly and look off to the side.  
"Huh. I always wondered why you never brought Sei out to Black Needle." Noiz leaned against the back of the park bench and looked up at the sky. The clouds were beginning to grow dark and block out the sun. A very distance and faint rumbling to crawl to the group's ears. "It sounds like it's going to rain soon," he commented.  
"Sei-san, perhaps it would be better if you returned back home now," Virus suggested. Sei pouted and stood up in front of Virus, giving him the most adorable look he could muster.  
"But Virus~! I don't get to come out as much as I like! There's no guarantee Toue will let me out again for a while. Please, let's stay out here just a bit longer?" Even with Virus immune to Sei's abilities, he couldn't help but fall victim to that adorable face, albeit forcing himself to turn his head away in the hopes of retaining some dignity.  
"...Fine. But we aren't staying out in the rain." Sei smiled softly at him and bounced.  
"Thank you!"  
"Then were would we go?" Noiz asked. "My apartment isn't large enough for all four of us."  
"I live above Black Needle, my place is more than spacious enough for us," Mizuki suggested. "Would that work?"  
"I don't see a problem with that," Noiz said.  
"That's perfectly fine with me," Sei purred.  
"But-"  
"Come on then. It's a bit of a walk, and I don't want my Princess getting wet," Mizuki said, watching Sei blush again and walk over to stand beside him. His arm wrapped around a frail waist as they started off. He held his ice cream up so Sei could take in another mouthful.  
"I'm guessing those two have been dating for a while," Virus asked softly.  
"I'm not entirely sure how long, but they have been for as long as I've been...had been, with Aoba," Noiz corrected. "So at least two years."  
"That long..." Virus was almost positive it had to have been longer. For just two years and them to already be that close would be nearly impossible. While maybe humans would fall in love that quickly, but they had no choice-their life span made extensive relationships nearly impossible. Vampires understood that next to nothing could end their existences, and so they spent far more time deciding whether or not a fellow immortal was worth the investment of an eternity together. Thinking long and hard, he came to the realization that somewhere close to thirty years ago, Sei's entire demeanor had drastically shifted to a much more pleasant version of himself. He'd slowly crawled out of his shell and would now hold long and detailed conversations with Virus and Trip both. He figured that was likely about the time their relationship had started.  
"Virus!" He blinked and returned to reality to find Sei inches from his face and staring intently at his eyes, the sound of rain pounding on glass behind him confusing him for a moment. "You zoned out. We're already at Mizuki's apartment."  
"Oh." He blinked and looked around him. A surprisingly nice Victorian couch sat behind him, a matching love-seat sitting caddy corner to the couch. A glass coffee table with intricate swirls held an assortment of books and magazines on the rack beneath. Near the far wall was a plush recliner, and beside that a small table with a lamp and two more books. Two doors on either side led to other rooms, one of which was presumably the bedroom. A few small paintings hung on his walls, and an easel lay tucked into a corner with a half-finished sketch on display.  
"Did you think it wouldn't look this nice because I'm only a tattoo artist?" Mizuki asked. "You'd be surprised at how much I actually make, you know."  
"Maybe I should take that up instead of information peddling," Noiz muttered absently while looking around. "This place is nice."  
"Thanks. I try to keep it homely for the nights I can sneak my Princess here. I wouldn't want her to feel uncomfortable all night, now would I?" Sei just blushed and picked up one of the books beneath the coffee table.  
"Does it not bother you that Mizuki calls you Princess?" Virus spat. "I mean, you're-"  
"No, it does not bother me that Mizuki calls me that." Cold eyes locked with Virus's. "In fact, I am the one that asked for him to call me Princess. If it truly bothers you that much, Virus, then I would appreciate you NOT bring it up in front of Mizuki. We can continue this discussion later, if you deem it necessary to dictate yet another thing in my life." Virus swallowed nervously. Sei only ever spoke like this to him when he'd SEVERELY fucked up. This had only happened three times in the near two hundred years they'd known each other, and each time when Virus pushed him further it ended in a nasty, bloody fight that did nothing more than get him in even more trouble with Toue.  
"...Never mind," he said.  
"That's what I thought," Sei said before returning to his book. Mizuki and Noiz both looked nervously at each other before turning away as thought nothing had happened. "Mizu-chan, I'm hungry..." Virus shook his head at Sei's ability to shift moods so quickly.  
"Anything specific you'd like?" Sei scrunched his face up cutely and shifted around in his chair.  
"Umm...I'm not sure. Surprise me!" he squeaked. Mizuki just chuckled at him and nodded.  
"Alright, Princess. I'll surprise you. Either of you two want something to eat?" he directed at Noiz and Virus.  
"Not particularly," Virus sighed.  
"I just want something to eat in general," Noiz answered. He trudged over to the window and pulled the curtains aside. A strike of lightning followed by a rumble of thunder startled him a bit. "The rain doesn't look like it's letting up anytime soon." He glanced down at his Coil and began fiddling with it. "...In fact, it's not supposed to stop raining until late afternoon tomorrow."  
"Shit, if Sei-san is gone that long, then-" His Coil flashed up at him from his wrist. "Shit..."  
"You can let yourself down into the shop if you need some privacy," Mizuki called from the kitchen.  
"I think I'll do that," Virus answered him, swearing under his breath and letting himself out into the stairwell. Noiz let the curtain go and dropped onto the couch across from Sei. He let his eyes slip closed and was about to finally fall asleep when Virus threw the door open practically screaming.  
"Son of a bitch!" Noiz jerked awake and yawned loudly. Virus sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch beside Noiz. "Fucking hell..."  
"What's up?" Sei asked him. Virus grumbled something under his breath and leaned back on the other blond.  
"Toue isn't happy we were caught by the rain. He's pissed off at me now." Sei pouted and hung his head.  
"I'm sorry, Virus. I guess it's my fault," he said. He closed his book and calmly set it back on the coffee table. "We can head back now..."  
"No, the rain's coming down too hard. Even Toue said he would rather you stay somewhere out of the rain. He's just...not thrilled that you aren't back home right now," Virus said slowly. Sei looked over at him.  
"You didn't tell him I was at Mizuki's?" Virus cracked a crooked smile.  
"No. I left that part out. As far as he knows I managed to get us a hotel room." He straightened up finally and let Noiz out from underneath him with a soft apology before leaning back against the couch again. "If you aren't at back by ten o'clock tomorrow evening he'll be even more pissed." Mizuki poked his head out of the kitchen door right as Sei spoke.  
"Hurensohn," he swore softly. Noiz and Mizuki both burst into laughter while Virus looked at him with an arched eyebrow.  
"What's so funny?" he asked seriously.  
"Just know that Sei has spent a little too much time around Noiz," Mizuki explained with a smile. "Now come on. The food's ready."


	8. Rebellious Princess

"Mi-Mizu-chan~!"  
"Princess, keep your voice down...Noiz and Virus are in the living room. I don't want them to hear what's mine, you know..." Mizuki began toying with Sei's nipple, pinching it and tugging it roughly. Sei gasped and arched his back against his boyfriend's chest.  
"Mizu-chan..." He worried his lip to the point of bleeding, his right fang digging into his lip and splitting it. Mizuki paused and brought his thumb up to Sei's lips.  
"You've hurt yourself, Princess." He wiped away the small beads of blood building up and smiled softly. "Even if the damage isn't permanent, I still don't like it when you hurt yourself."  
"I'm sorry, Mizu-chan..." Sei pouted and let his head rest on Mizuki's shoulder. Mizuki laughed quietly and began softly stroking the vampire's back, sending strong shivers down his spine.  
"Just be more careful with your lips, alright? You always seem to make them bleed when we have sex." He then began nibbling and tugging at Sei's earlobe.  
"I can't help it. It always feels so good with you." He clawed gently up Mizuki's back, smiling wickedly at the lusty haze that suddenly enveloped those beautiful sea-green eyes. Mizuki suddenly ran his nails up Sei's back almost hard enough to draw blood; Sei felt his stomach bottom out. "Mizu-chan~~!"  
"Princess, I already told you. Keep your voice down. It's mine." He pulled Sei down into a passionate, heated kiss, tongue pressing against his lips and begging to be let in. Sei twined his fingers into deep strands and pulled gently before opening his mouth. Mizuki moaned lowly in his throat before beginning a war for dominance with the smaller male. Their tongues twined and pushed at each other, exploring every inch of the other's mouth as they'd done many a time before. No matter how many times they kissed, no matter how many times they found sweet, sweet bliss in each other's arms, they could never tire of the other. Calloused fingers swept gingerly across pale and pristine skin to grasp firmly at bare hips. He pulled away and looked into Sei's black orbs. "Your eyes are so beautiful."  
"Thank you..." Mizuki smiled and reached behind Sei to drum his fingers on his bare backside. "Mizu-chan..."  
"I think you know what I want, Princess," he purred lowly. Sei blushed and leaned over to reach into the bedside table, withdrawing a small clear bottle and holding it out for him. Mizuki popped the cap open and spread some of the sweet-smelling liquid on his fingers. The vampire pushed himself flush to his lover and smiled, leaning forward and locking lips with him again as a thin finger began to push inside of him.  
"Mizuki..." he breathed when a second finger was added in. More quiet whimpers broke through with each push of his hand. "Mizuki...!"  
"Keep your voice down, Princess." Mizuki licked up his throat to his earlobe, then proceeded to nibble and tug at it affectionately.  
"I'll try," Sei sighed. His hips began to rock back against his lover's hand, silently begging for more.  
"Ready?" Without answering the vampire moved over on top of Mizuki's length. Mizuki smirked and sat a little straighter, Sei's hand reaching out for the bottle of lube and reaching behind him. The other male jerked a bit at the cold touch before moaning lowly. "I'll take that as a yes."  
"Mizuki...please, hurry..." Mizuki gripped his lover's hips and began to guide Sei down onto his length. The thickness burned a little (even being stretched out, Mizuki was still wider than normal) but still Sei drank it in like a drug. And it was-he was hooked so hard that even if he wanted to, he couldn't leave. Their hearts were tied together so tightly there was no hope of separating them.  
And neither one would have it any other way.  
"Aaahh...Mizuki..." Their bodies were pressed together now, Sei panting at the feel of Mizuki's length inside of him. Mizuki began running his hand softly along the vampire's skin and whispering words of encouragement to him.  
"You're amazing, Sei," he whispered softly. A soft blush crossed Sei's face. "You are."  
"Thank you, Mizuki..." After a moment's pause he began to roll his hips slowly, pulling a low sigh from his lover. "I want...I want to see them. If I can..."  
"Why wouldn't you be able to?" Mizuki asked lowly. He let his hand settle on Sei's side softly.  
"I just don't want to seem pushy, I guess..." Sei flicked his hair to the side, set a hand on Mizuki's shoulder, and began to move faster against him. Light tendrils of pleasure began shooting through his body. "Please..."  
"Of course..." He pushed his forehead into Sei's chest for a moment before the pressure in his shoulders dissipated. Pale fingers reached out in earnest for their target.  
Soft, beautiful, sky blue wings brushed the wall behind him. He fluttered them a few times to knock any loose feathers out of them.   
"They're still beautiful, Mizuki. I love them. I just wish I got to see them more," Sei whispered inches from Mizuki's ear. His lips moved over to slam into Mizuki's in an attempt to quiet his voice while his hips began to move harder and faster against his lover. "Mizuki..."  
"Sei..." The angel forced Sei onto his back and began kissing him roughly. "Normally I don't mind you being in control, but tonight is my night. It's been three months since I've seen you. Tonight I'm going to fuck the shit out of you." Sei felt his face heat up at Mizuki's words. He hooked his arms under Mizuki's to card his fingers through his wings. The soft blue shade was a stark contrast to tan skin and stood out beautifully against him. Mizuki's arms shot down to hike Sei's legs up without warning.  
"Mizu-KI!!!" The angel began rolling his hips fast and hard against Sei's. Normally Sei wouldn't be able to handle staying on his back like this, with his hair being almost unbearably sensitive, but tonight the pain mixed just right with the pleasure to make him claw at the base of Mizuki's wings. The appendages began twitching in anticipation for what he knew was coming. With a slight shift of his hips he had Sei tilting his head back and gasping his name in almost unbearable pleasure. Mizuki had found his sweet spot and was abusing it mercilessly.  
Sei's eyes began shifting between their usual black and a dark crimson. Mizuki was so wrapped up in pleasure that he didn't notice, even when soft butterfly kisses along his jaw turned into bruising kisses along his neck. Instead he let his hand snake down to wrap around Sei's cock and stroke it in time with his hips. Sei's nails dug harder into his back at the touch.  
"Mizuki..." The angel withdrew completely from the vampire, forced him on his stomach, and pushed himself back insde. "So...close..."  
"Come for me, Princess..." he purred softly.  
"Mizu-" Teeth clamped down onto his shoulder and a hand slapped over his mouth, pushing him the rest of the way over the edge. He screamed in pleasure and released thick white spurts of cum on Mizuki's sheets. A few more deep thrusts and the angel followed, wings spasming violently and shaking more feathers onto the bed. After a few deep breaths they separated, Sei flopping down onto his side, unable to support himself now, eyes slowly returning to their usual color. Mizuki waited until his wings had settled before joining him.  
"Was I too rough?" he whispered.  
"No...you weren't..." An adorable yawn escaped from his lips. "I'm tired now, though. I'm going to sleep..."  
"Alright, Princess. Goodnight." Mizuki pressed a butterfly kiss to the back of Sei's head before nuzzling into the square of his back. "I love you, Princess."  
"I love you too, Mizu-chan." He yawned again before settling his head against the pillow.  
But he couldn't sleep. Something was keeping him awake. He wasn't sure what, he just knew that he couldn't sleep. Behind him he could hear Mizuki snoring softly and muttering in his sleep. Normally this would put him to sleep almost instantaneously, but this time...he just couldn't. Sei fought with himself for nearly half an hour before the angel rolled over in his sleep. He took this opportunity to climb out of bed and wander around the apartment in the hopes of maybe finding something that would help him sleep. He settled for the yukata Mizuki had given him for his twenty-first birthday, a soft white with a red obi, and a pair of black leggings. He sleepily pattered into the living room to see Virus gently stroking Noiz's hair while he slept.  
"Did we keep you awake?" he asked groggily.  
"I couldn't sleep even before you started," Virus sighed. "I'm too wound up, and you know why."  
"I can smell it too. That may be why I can't sleep, either," Sei whined.  
"Hmph. The follies of immortality," the yakuza commented, tucking a section of ruffled hair behind a pierced ear. "I'm assuming that's a present from Mizuki?"  
"Yeah, it was a birthday present. I've actually got a lot of things here." He padded to a shelf on the far wall and pulled down a snow globe. "He bought this on one of our dates around Christmas. There's a matching one in my room."  
"I wondered where that came from. I assumed Toue bought it for you." Sei shook his head and set the globe back up on the shelf. "Did you buy the paintings too?"  
"No, actually, I...I made those myself." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Virus look at him in disbelief.  
"You painted these?"  
"Yeah. Mizuki had the easel stuffed into the back of his closet along with an old set of pencils and paints. I watched him drawing the tattoos he'd come up with, and it made me start wanting to draw too. Pretty soon I found I had a natural talent for it. A few of my drawings have actually been turned into tattoos," Sei explained. He walked over to where the easel sat and stared at the front page. "I've been trying to figure out what I want this to be for almost six months now. I just can't get anything to come out." Absently his fingers closed around the pencil laying on the wood in front of him. "But I think tonight I might finish it. You should sleep, Virus. You'll get cranky if you don't."  
"You know me far too well, Sei-san." A crooked grin came across his lips.  
"I would hope so, nii-san." Virus chuckled quietly.  
"You haven't called me that in almost fifty years. What brought this on? If I may ask," he prodded. Sei tilted his head in thought, then began moving the pencil in short strokes.  
"No particular reason. I just felt like it." He paused for a moment before moving up a bit. "I know you don't like the thought of me being with Mizuki." The blond sighed and looked down at Noiz. Honestly, the thought of Mizuki being Sei made his blood boil. For a disgusting angel to touch Sei like that, it was...not the worst thing that could happen. From what he could tell Mizuki treated Sei like the princess he deserved to be. The yukata he wore was obviously expensive as hell. The sheer number of paintings that lined the wall meant that his supplies had to be restocked rather often, and a few of the books that Virus found were some of Sei's favorites.  
"Actually...I'm glad." Sei turned to look at him.  
"What? You hate angels, why-"  
"Because he treats you right. Ever since you were a child I've wanted to tell Toue how to do his damn job, and I've wanted to scream at him to treat you better. You're not a doll, and you're not some creature to be used for whatever he decides." Noiz shifted in his sleep, making Virus pause and continue stroking his hair. Sei watched the affectionate movements and smiled.  
"You're falling for him, Virus." Bright blue eyes shifted over to him.  
"Nice try, Sei, but I've finally come to terms with it. I don't know how, but this little shit has wormed his way into my heart." Sei turned back to the picture before him.  
"I thought you'd closed your heart off after the Trip incident," he asked calmly. Virus's leg jerked against the back of the couch with a dull thump. Noiz jerked in surprise and sat up.  
"What the fuck...?" he groaned.  
"Nothing, Noiz. Go back to sleep," Virus muttered, reaching up to catch him as he fell backwards, already fast asleep. He hated using Compulsion, but sometimes, it was necessary.  
"Obviously I was wrong," Sei continued. He sat back for a moment and let his eyes wander across the picture. "Virus, go to sleep."  
"Why?"  
"Plausible deniability," he advised. Virus sighed.  
"Sei, what are you planning?"  
"Just...go to sleep Virus." The blond shook his head softly before stretching out behind Noiz. The couch was surprisingly comfy, even with another person on it with him. After sighing again he wrapped an arm around the mortal.  
"'Night, Prince," he muttered absently as he fell asleep. Sei smiled weakly and stood up to stretch his legs and get something to eat, His sweet tooth had been bothering him ever since dinner, and he knew damn good and well that Mizuki HAD to have SOMETHING sweet somewhere in the house, and lo and behold, he found a few candy bars tucked into the door of the fridge. Without hesitation he ripped one of them open and took a bite of it.  
"It's fine. Virus Compelled him to sleep, he won't wake up until Virus lets him," Sei said sleepily on his way into the living room. He plopped down onto the stool just as Mizuki walked out, wings still unfurled, in a pair of loose pants. "Sorry if Virus and I woke you."  
"No, I woke up when I noticed you weren't in bed anymore. I just figured I'd let you have a decent conversation with him." Mizuki wrapped his arms loosely around Sei's chest and kissed his cheek. His eyes flicked up to Sei's finished drawing. "You finally finished it."  
"I want a tattoo." Mizuki straightened up instantly.  
"Sei, that's...rather sudden. And I thought you were afraid of needles. I don't want you to freak out when I do it," Mizuki muttered.  
"I trust you, Mizuki. I know it'll hurt. But I know I can take it. And I want this." He motioned at the sketch in front of him, which was a simple pair of angel wings done in the same color as Mizuki's wings. "I want it in that color, too."  
"Are you absolutely sure, Sei? It's not like humans, it won't eventually fade away. Since you're a vampire I have to use special ink. This is for the rest of eternity, Sei, unless you get it removed, and that hurts a hell of a lot worse than getting it put on." Black eyes unfocused then refocused again on the picture.  
"I love you, Mizuki. I want this. I want this a lot." Mizuki debated for a clean five minutes before patting his shoulder gently.  
"Come downstairs, then. And bring that with you." He moved past the couch and down the stairwell into the tattoo parlor below. The sounds of Sei moving around upstairs kept him jittery. This had come so suddenly, what brought it on? Sei had cried at the thought of going into the parlor itself for almost a year and a half when he first opened it. For Sei to suddenly want one...meant that Sei trusted him more than anyone else.  
By the time Sei finally made it downstairs Mizuki already had everything set up. He heard an audible, nervous hitch in the other's breath, but still he walked over to where his lover waited, albeit at a much slower pace.  
"Last chance, Princess. Are you sure you want one?" he asked. Sei paused, then nodded and handed him the drawing. "Alright. You've got the nicest chair, too. Only the best for my dear princess." Sei eased down into the plush chair, visibly shaking but obviously resolved to go through with it. "Where do you want it?"  
"Here." Sei let the shoulders of the yukata fall down around his waist and reached up to point at his left shoulder. Mizuki smiled softly and set the drawing beside him, then traced the lines in a smaller version at the spot Sei had pointed out.  
"Right. This will hurt, a lot. If you can't handle it I can finish it another time. If you absolutely can't handle it I'll only do the outline. Understood?" Sei nodded again and steeled himself for the pain he knew would come. When the gun whirred to life he jumped, but grit his teeth and gripped the edges of the chair; when he felt Mizuki clean the area he began drumming his fingers. With the first few touches he nearly bit his tongue off, but eventually the pain settled into little more than a dull throbbing ache that moved along like an itch. He'd felt far more painful, obviously; he'd been suffering through needles being shoved in his eyes for almost sixty years now. For such light touches he brushed it off as nothing. Mizuki's hand on his back probably helped soothe him too. It was a reminder that these needles wouldn't cause him unbearable pain for three weeks and leave him blind the entire time. Every now and then Mizuki would pause to wipe away the excess ink bleeding out as well as adding more to the needle. Eventually he stopped and straightened up.  
"How you handling it?" he asked seriously. Sei shrugged with his right shoulder.  
"I've had worse. I can handle it. It more or less feels like it tickles, honestly. Can you keep going?"  
"Yeah, I don't see why not. One of the nice things about being immortal," Mizuki joked, patting away a bit more of the ink. "Your skin doesn't tire out like a human's will. The other day a daemon came in wanting to get a sleeve done and I managed to do it all in one go. This won't take much longer, just another half hour, maybe. I have to add in the feather details and then I'll be finished. I promise." He switched to a smaller needle for the finer markings and set his hand back on Sei's back. "This one might hurt a bit more than the other one. Try not to start, alright?"  
"Alright." This time when the gun started up Sei just took a deep breath in anticipation. It stung more than the other one, like Mizuki had said it might, but it still wasn't too bad. He just began counting seconds in his head to push the fact that there were needles near him to the back of his mind. He almost didn't notice when Mizuki pulled away again, if it weren't for the fact that he kissed his other shoulder.  
"I'm finished now, love. Would you like to see what it looks like?"  
"Yes." Mizuki grabbed a hand mirror from a table behind him and walked Sei over to a larger full length mirror. After fighting for a moment he finally found the right angle. Sei gasped and smiled slightly.  
"It's perfect," he breathed. "Do I need to do anything special with it?"  
"No. You're immortal. Your skin has already taken the ink and healed." The vampire reached out and laced his hand with Mizuki's free one.  
"Thank you. This means a lot to me, Mizu-chan." Their noses pressed together affectionately.  
"You know, Princess..." Slowly he pivoted them until Sei had a clear view of the mirror and both of them in it. "If you're up to it...I wouldn't mind going another round..."  
"I don't see why we couldn't," Sei purred back happily. "We'll just have to be mindful of my shoulder, is all. And that shouldn't be too hard..."  
"No, it shouldn't..." He set the mirror in his hand on a table beside him and worked the obi loose. "Plus this should take your mind off the pain."  
"I think that's a good reason..." His arms laced around Mizuki's neck to pull him down into a heated kiss.  
Sei wasn't sure how many times he came that night. He lost count after the third one. He just knew that when he finally woke the next morning he felt completely relaxed and had still-unhealed claw marks all along his hips and back around his tattoo.  
The tattoo... He still couldn't believe he'd gotten it. Toue would kill him if he found it. The slightest bit of tampering might affect his ability, the bastard had always claimed. He found himself staring at it in disbelief in Mizuki's bathroom mirror and smiling.  
If he wasn't already the angel's property, he was now.


	9. Worst Day Ever

"Shouldn't the storm have cleared out by now?" Noiz paced anxiously from end to end of the small room, pausing only to glance through rain-soaked glass. "For fuck's sake, it's already six!"  
"Calm down, Noiz. The storm didn't behave like they thought it would. More than likely we'll be here another night," Virus growled. Noiz just sucked his teeth and continued.  
"Toue won't be too happy that we'll be gone for so long," Sei pointed out. He wore another yukata, this one more intricate with a golden phoenix rising from his left leg up to his chest. "I hope he won't take it out on you when we get back."  
"I called him to let him know. He sounded pissed, but it's not too bad." He set his hand atop Sei's head ever so lightly to calm him. "Don't worry. Otherwise it will make you sick."  
"Right..." He pushed his right side into the corner of the chair and sighed. Mizuki was already in the kitchen making dinner. "Whatever Mizu-chan is making smells good."  
"Yeah. Mizuki doesn't strike me as the type to know how to cook, though," Noiz commented absently. Sei just smiled over at him.  
"He actually knows how to make a lot of things. Takoyaki, sukiyaki, donburi...he knows how to make food from other countries too. I can't really stomach some of the American food he makes...it's too greasy for my stomach." His face scrunched up in disgust. "It doesn't taste very good, either."  
"Hmph. I don't much care for it either, but it seems to be some of Trip's favorite," Virus answered. "I honestly don't see how he eats that shit."  
"Not all of it's bad," Noiz said. "It just depends on what you eat."  
"Most of it tastes like vomit." Sei shuddered. "I wouldn't dream of living there."  
"Trust me, it's worse to live there than occasionally taste some of their cooking," Virus sighed. 'Though things might have changed in the last eighty or so years since I've been there...' Suddenly Mizuki popped his head into the living room.  
"Oi. Food's ready. Come stuff your faces." Noiz made an immediate pivot and strutted straight into the kitchen, leaving Virus and Sei alone. Virus's stomach growled loudly.  
"You might want to go eat, Virus," Sei advised. The blond waved his hand in dismissal.  
"It's fine. I'm not hungry." When it clicked Sei frowned at him.  
"Do you need to feed?" he asked lowly. "Why haven't you-"  
"It's not important, Sei. I'm fine." The smaller growled and shot up out of his chair to stomp over to the other vampire.  
"Virus, dammit! You're a grown-ass man, and you can't even keep yourself fed!? If you don't stop starving yourself I'll make you regret it!" From the kitchen Mizuki laughed audibly.  
"Sei is terrifying when he gets mad," he commented. Noiz grabbed a takoyaki and popped it into his mouth.  
"I don't ever want to see it," Noiz muttered, watching Virus shy away from the ranting vampire and nervously scratching the side of his nose.

"I'm glad to see you're back," Toue grunted sarcastically. Virus quickly put on his best feigned smile and tilted his head. Behind the brunette Sei stood cradling a stuffed rabbit.  
"My apologies, Toue. The ran came down so fast there was no way for us to make it back before it hit full force. I didn't want to drag poor Sei through the rain."  
"Right." It was obvious he didn't believe Virus, but with nothing to prove otherwise there was nothing he could do; he turned to walk off and patted Sei on the shoulder.  
His left shoulder, to be exact. The poor vampire hissed and tensed up, squeezing the rabbit in his arms. Before Sei could react Toue pulled the left side of his shirt down. The tattoo glittered up at him.  
"HE HAS A TATTOO!?" Virus's eyes widened visibly.  
"A tattoo? I didn't know, I don't know where he would have gotten one-"  
"DID YOU THINK I WOULDN'T NOTICE IT?" A blinding pain shot from the back of Virus's skull and spread to the front, flooring him with a shout. Toue was groping around in his skull too fast for Virus to block him. Instead he decided to alter his memories temporarily. All Toue would find would be a stranger in Mizuki's place with no noticable traits. Toue withdrew with a start, Virus's head slumping forward, blood dripping down onto the floor from his nose. Toue pulled his head back up and glared.  
"I'm...so...rry..." Virus shakily wiped the blood from above his lip.  
"Sorry won't cut it this time, Virus." Without warning he threw Virus on his side and punted him square in the chest. The blond wheezed and began curling in on himself in agony. Toue then pressed his foot flat to the other's ribs. "What made you think I wouldn't find out?" He added pressure, making Virus groan lightly. "Did you honestly think you could get something like this by me?"  
"I didn't know...If I had-"  
"What? You would have had it removed!" Toue stomped down violently on Virus's lowest rib. Virus felt the wind rush out of his lungs.  
"S...sorry..."  
"I told you." Toue began grinding his heel painfully into Virus's jaw. "Sorry. Won't. Cut it."  
Sei wanted to scream at Toue to stop, but he couldn't. If he so much as opened his mouth he would suffer a fate far worse than the beating Virus was receiving. Tears were streaming down both of their faces, blooding mixing with the blond's, until finally, Toue relented with one final hard kick in the stomach before pushing his hair back out of his eyes. He struggled to catch his breath for a moment before turning to Sei.  
"As for you, little brat..." He thought for a moment before nodding to himself. "I believe a trim is in order."  
"N-no! Please! Anything but that, Toue, please!"  
"Go back to your room. I'll send the Alphas later."  
"Toue, please!"  
"Keep arguing with me and I'll have them cut it above your ears in pieces!" The smaller squeaked and covered his face with his hands. "That's what I thought." Almost as an afterthought he kicked Virus again before he left. When Sei was certain Toue was gone he uncovered his face and walked over to the battered blond.  
"Virus...?" There was a lot more blood than what Sei would have liked but he ignored it to help Virus sit up. The side of his head was busted open, his nose was bleeding more profusely, his glasses were cracked, and he was wheezing. Toue had done a number on his body. "I'm sorry..."  
"D...don't apolo...gize..." He spat out a mouthful of blood to his left. "It's my...my fault..."  
"I'm the one that told Mizuki I wanted a tattoo...I told you to go to sleep so this WOULDN'T happen to you." He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, big brother..."  
"Stop. It's fine. I told you." Virus grabbed his side and began wheezing harder. Sei felt guilty for what his stupidity had caused, so steeling himself, he turned his head to the side.  
"Here. You need it. It'll heal your wounds faster."  
"Sei..." Virus smiled weakly. "I can't."  
"Don't argue with me, big brother. Just do it."  
"But if I do-"  
"I don't care." He swallowed harshly and pulled his hair away. "Mizuki will comfort me tonight." The blond would have kept arguing if it weren't for the sheer look of determination in the younger's eyes.  
"If you insist." A shot of pain ran through his body as he leaned forward, his hand coming to rest on the side of a pale neck to hold him steady. Sei tensed up in anticipation and laced an arm around the elder's shoulders.  
"Be gentle...please..."  
"I'll try." Virus decided quick would be better than easy, so he slammed his fangs down into Sei's neck. The feeling of fangs in Sei's neck was vastly different from the feeling of a needle in his shoulder, and when Virus bit he hollered. He could feel the blood pushing out through his neck; it was a strange feeling that he didn't like. But Virus needed his blood, and since the damage was his fault, this was his way of apologizing for it. Nails dug in to the back of Virus's suit after a few moments.  
"Virus..." Sei's voice was so small that Virus almost didn't hear it, but when he realized it he pulled away. A shot of electricity shot through him; he felt charged and much better than he did before.  
"I'm sorry...I took more than I meant to..." Sei just smiled weakly at him.  
"It's fine. You needed it. But I'm tired...could you carry me to my room...? I want to sleep before my hair is cut..."  
"Of course." Virus hoisted him up bridal style and stopped. Sei felt so light if he weren't looking right at him Virus would think he'd been dropped. Virus hadn't realized just how weak he'd gotten until now. It felt strange. He remembered a time when he would have struggled to hold the very same body in his arms now, and yet it was like carrying feathers now.  
Sei's bed, per usual, was covered in mounds of stuffed animals and presents. A massive pile of soft feathery pillows sat against the headboard. Carefully Virus set the younger vampire on his bed.  
"You look terrible, Sei..." he commented. Sei just laughed and pulled himself up onto his pillows.  
"It honestly doesn't bother me anymore...I don't even notice it most days." He pulled a stuffed animal from beside his head down to cuddle it affectionately.  
"Still. You're the fucking prince of our kind, and both Toue's fledgling and blood born son. He shouldn't treat you like this. You should be treated like the fucking royalty you are!" Virus watched as the younger vampire yawned and snuggled closer to the plush in his arms.  
"It's not like I can do anything about it, Virus. Like you said, he's practically my father twice over. The only good thing about this is he won't kill me. Not yet. He still needs me..."  
"Yes, but for how much longer? We both know there will come a day when he finds a replacement for you and lets you rot and whither away." The next words out of his lips sent daggers through Virus's heart  
"And when that happens I'll accept my fate."  
"But Mizuki..."  
"He'll find someone else, eventually. Someone who isn't tied down, someone who isn't so weak that a gust of wind would blow them over and break every bone in their body. I've seen the look in his eyes when I get weak. He looks like he doesn't want to deal with it anymore. Most nights I expect him to show up long enough to say he's found another one and leave me alone again." A low sigh escaped his lips. "After all...I spent nearly a hundred and fifty years alone, didn't I...? I mean, sure, I had you to keep me company, but...you were like a brother to me. Even if I wanted to I couldn't bring myself to see you like a lover. How did I even survive that long alone...?"  
"Because you wanted to find the person who would show you what love felt like before you withered away to dust," Virus answered him calmly. "I believe those are the words you used one year." He sat down gingerly at the foot of Sei's bed. "I hated myself for doing nothing but sit by all those years and watch you die a little more inside every day." As an afterthought he added, "You know, I could tell the day you found Mizuki."  
"You could?" Virus nodded quickly.  
"Yes. You seemed a lot more chipper then. Trip noticed it the next day too, and mentioned it to me. He said he'd noticed a bit more of a bounce in your step. You also said hello to him that day." He had to strain to hear Sei laugh.  
"Right. That was before I liked him. I always wondered what you were thinking when you turned him. Even after the countless times you told me it was because you loved him, I just couldn't believe it. After all, you'd never let yourself fall for someone before."  
"People do strange things when they're in love, Sei. You of all people should know that very well." Silence echoed in the small room for a few moments before Virus suddenly got up and walked to the head of the bed. "I'll see you later, okay, Sei?"  
"Promise me you'll come see me again soon, big brother. I miss hanging out with you." Soft lips brushed against his forehead.  
"I promise, Sei-san." He let himself out quickly and quietly, switching the light off as he went. Thankfully he avoided a confrontation with Toue, otherwise he likely would have found himself battered and bruised again.  
The walk home was oddly cold, and seemed to take longer than it normally would. Normally he would barely notice the time it took to travel from Platinum Jail to the house, but tonight time stretched on for far longer than he was used to. A wave of exhaustion swept over him as he unlocked his door.  
"Right now a good, hot bath and some food sounds excellent," he muttered absently to himself. "I wonder if Trip bothered to make dinner today."  
Wait a minute. He would have only asked himself that if Trip had stayed home that day; that meant that Trip hadn't gone with him to Toue's. That explained why the walk home had been so lonesome. Trip would have only stayed home if it was absolutely necessary, and with Aoba dying, that had been deemed important enough.  
His train of thought was derailed as a hand slammed into his throat and pinned him to the door. Fingers squeezed with bruising force around his windpipe, cutting off his air supply and forcing him to gasp for breath.  
"Hello, Virus~. Glad to see you're finally home," a low voice growled. A wicked chuckle followed the greeting. "I've been waiting for you..."  
"Trip..." Virus began scrabbling at Trip's wrist, begging silently for the ability to breath. Trip didn't loosen his grip, instead settling for ripping Virus's shirt open and running his hands along a pale chest. "Stop..."  
"Why should I stop? I only just started," he teased, letting his tongue run up from his collarbone to his ear. "It's been some time since we touched each other like this...why don't you enjoy this...?"  
"Trip...stop...!" Virus began clawing at Trip's arms frantically. Blood began dribbling down and onto the plush carpet beneath them. Trip snickered and locked eyes with his sire.  
"But Virus~. I missed you..." Trip's eyes were red, a violent, bloody red, much darker than even a fledgling's would be. Virus gasped as best he could. Trip had gone feral, and was long gone in the recesses of his own mind.  
'That must be why I can't sleep, either.'  
Sei hadn't been able to sleep because he'd felt Aoba die, not because-  
"Virus..." The palm around his throat squeezed even tighter, completely preventing him from breathing and already making him lightheaded. "I want you..."  
Virus had to make a split second decision; his vision was already beginning to swim. Did he let Trip fuck him and hope it was enough to bring his fledgling back, which was a hair-brained but completely plausible idea, or did he kill the man he'd been in love with for years upon years and risk going feral himself, which put Noiz in danger? As his vision began to grow dark he came to a conclusion.  
He only hoped it was the right one.

Sometime later, Virus regained consciousness feeling sticky and disgusting. The smell of dried blood and semen found its way up to his nose, nearly making him vomit and add to the putrid smell. His ass felt like it had been torn open, sewn back shut, and torn open again. Stinging claw marks ran along his back, hips, and chest, many of them breaking the skin and leaving bloody smears on his flesh. His glasses had likely been discarded shortly after he'd passed out, meaning they were in the living room at best, crushed somewhere underfoot at worst. After spending time regaining his bearings and senses he heard them. Quiet, soft, nearly inaudible sobs coming from his bathroom. Ignoring the searing pain and the awful feeling of moving he dragged himself from his ruined bed and stumbled almost drunkenly into his personal bathroom.  
Trip sat on the floor, propped against the counter naked, bloody hands holding his head, more of the crimson liquid smeared along him in various places. It took him a few moments to realize Virus was standing in the door frame, but when he did he began sobbing harder.  
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Virus..." He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with his sire, not after the stunt he'd pulled. His hands stayed covering his face. All he could say was, "I'm sorry."  
"Don't apologize, Trip...I shouldn't have left you alone, knowing Aoba was dying," Virus said, hobbling forward and dropping shakily onto the floor beside his fledgling. Trip shied away from him with a whimper. "I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at myself."  
"But I...I raped you! That's not what I wanted, that's not how I wanted to let you know that I still loved you!" Trip began crying harder, the heels of his palms digging into his eyes painfully to staunch his flow of tears. "That's not how I wanted you to find out..."  
"Trip...I told you. I'm not mad. If I was mad you'd know." Virus tentatively brushed a blond spike back, making Trip jerk away. "You went feral. You were acting on instinct. There was no way for you to control yourself."  
"Yes there was! I know damn good and well there was!" Virus grabbed the back of Trip's head and pulled hard, forcing them to finally look into each other's eyes. Trip's hues had finally returned to their striking blue.  
"Trip, I've known several vampires that have gone feral. None of them could control themselves. It wasn't until they were nearly dead that they finally regained their senses, and when they did, they apologized for everything they'd done. Hell, I knew a vampire three times my age who went feral and slaughtered an entire village before she was killed, and when she was dying she couldn't stop saying she hated herself! Please, Trip, don't blame yourself for this. I'm just glad I came home in time to bring you back," Virus finished, letting Trip's hair go and settling for stroking his cheek softly. "I was more scared for you than I was me when you pinned me." Trip flinched again at the reminder of what he'd done. "Even feral I knew I could have killed you if I thought you would have killed me. I let you do that so you could come back to me. I was grabbing at strings with this plan, but I obviously grabbed the right one. You're still here, aren't you? And it's not like this is the first time we've had sex and I got fucked up this bad," he joked with a smile. Trip didn't react.  
"I hurt you though." Trip leaned his head against Virus's shoulder. "I could have killed you..."  
"But you didn't," Virus reminded him. "Even running on instinct you knew you still loved me." Virus began smoothing his fledgling's hair out. "So please, don't hate yourself."  
"...Okay..." Trip sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his bloody arm. "I'll try."  
"Good. Now let's take a shower. I don't think you want to stay covered in my blood and semen, now do you?" This time Trip laughed, albeit very weakly.  
"No. I don't really want to." He picked himself up, grimacing at the red stain left where he'd been sitting. "I'll clean that up."  
"Clean it up later when you're dealing with Aoba's body. Right now I need you to help me up, please." Virus held his hand out for Trip to take, letting his fledgling pull him up to his feet and up into his arms. "I can walk, you know."  
"I don't think you can left your legs up into the bath," Trip pointed out. Weakly Virus smacked him on the shoulder. "The fact that I barely felt that should prove my point."  
"Just shut the fuck up," Virus sighed. "I'm tired. I'm sticky. I reek. Let's just get me cleaned up, please."  
"As you wish, Virus."


	10. Death Comes for All

Virus was happy. He had a cup of Earl Grey in front of him, three spoonfuls of sugar in it with a small bit of milk, just the way he liked it. Beside that was a muffin, a small quirk of his requiring it to be blueberry or he'd throw it at Trip and tell him to get another one. His hair had been washed, conditioned, and styled into its usual look, and brushed and combed out to smooth perfection. He wore a fresh suit, one of his favorites because it fit him perfectly. His glasses had been destroyed but thankfully he had the idea of keeping a spare pair around for just such a purpose. All was at peace.  
"Trip. Have you finally calmed down?" he asked quietly.  
"Yeah. I think so." Virus took a drink of tea and smiled.  
"See? There was no need to react as you did. I'm perfectly fine," he assured his fledgling, setting his cup down and grabbing a nail file. Flecks of dirt and dried blood were still caked underneath his nails. "Now. Aoba is dead. That much we know. Where is he?"  
"My room, in my bed. I don't know how long I was crying before I went crazy," Trip said calmly. "Unless he magically resurrected he should still be there."  
"Good. When I leave, you'll take care of it." Trip cocked his head at him.  
"'When you leave?' Where are you planning on going?" he asked. Virus's smile turned from one of mild amusement to a much more forlorn expression.  
"I have some things to take care of," he answered slowly. Trip caught on immediately.  
"You can't."  
"I have to, Trip."  
"No, you don't. He doesn't need to know."  
"He deserves to know what happened. At least, the abridged version of it."  
"Virus, don't!"  
"Why do you care? You took Aoba from him," Virus said. He took a bite from the muffin in front of him and leaned back, daring his fledgling to say something, anything to change his mind.  
"Because you're happy." Trip clicked his tongue and crossed one leg over the other. "You're my sire, I've only ever see you suffer since you turned me. I have never seen you so concerned about the well-being or opinion of a single mortal before in our existence together, Virus. It's almost unsettling, if you ask me. I'm not used to seeing you like this. You act like a school girl crushing on her teacher." Virus shrugged and glanced over at the window.  
"What can I say? Ever since I met that stupid brat I've been uncharacteristically nice. I'm not sure what's caused it, though I believe I have a fair hunch." Trip snorted and propped his chin in his hand.  
"Virus, we both know that's wrong." Silence reigned in the small room for ten minutes, the only sounds the clinking of the tea cup against a plate and the sounds of a crunching muffin before Trip spoke again. "So you're really gonna tell him?"  
"I already told you. I have to. It's the least I owe him." He finished the last of his tea and stood up. "Take care of Aoba. It shouldn't be too hard for you."  
"No. It won't. Be careful, Virus. I don't feel like losing you because your stupid ass wasn't paying attention and found a hunter," Trip warned. The elder blond nodded and returned to his bedroom to grab his Coil and do a bit of last minute maintenance on his hair before strutting out and back onto the streets. It seemed like he'd been spending almost the entirety of his time outside as of late, either traipsing the paths for new members or walking to Noiz's to spend time with him. Part of him felt this was likely going to be the last time that he walked the path to the mortal's house, though. His heart felt heavy in his chest as he drew closer.  
'You don't have to to tell him.'  
'It was vampiric matters, it doesn't count for the two of you.'  
'Don't tell him. He'll hate you.'  
No matter how hard the voices in his mind fought with him, his feet continued of their own accord, albeit much slower. He practically had to force himself up the stairs to Noiz's door. His hand was shaking as he knocked.  
"Who is it?"  
"It's...it's me." Virus heard Noiz rush across the living room floor, stumbling on something that sounded like the corner of the couch (which would explain the swear he heard a second later) and unlatch the door.  
"Hey," he breathed. The other blond wasn't wearing a shirt, and his loose sleep pants hung tantalizingly low on his hips. Virus almost lost his resolve and threw the mortal down on the floor. "What's up?"  
"Noiz...there's something I need to tell you," the vampire said slowly. Noiz's eyes locked with his, the lids narrowing slightly in anticipation. He could already tell this wasn't going to end well.  
"Yes?" Noiz asked warily. The taller blond took a deep breath and clasped his hands.  
"I slept with Trip." At first Noiz didn't react; he wasn't sure he heard Virus right.  
"Wh...what?"  
"Last night. I slept with Trip." Any confusion left his eyes immediately. What replaced the emotion was pure pain and rage.  
"I should have fucking known. It's not like anyone actually cares about me."  
'Tell him the truth, you idiot!'  
'You'd have to tell him eventually, why not make it now? TELL HIM!'  
"I'm sorry, Noiz," he whispered. Beautiful green eyes clouded over with tears.  
"Don't apologize. Obviously I didn't mean as much to you as I thought I did. Otherwise you wouldn't have done that." After swallowing the lump in his throat Noiz finished with, "Go, before I beat you within an inch of your life."  
"I understand. Goodbye, Noiz." He leaned forward for one final peck to his cheek but was stopped by a pierced hand. "Sorry. I'll leave."  
"Good idea." Noiz slammed the door shut and pressed his forehead to it. He heard the sound of Virus's receding footsteps and felt himself tear up. Aoba cheating on him had hurt him, both physically and mentally.  
Virus cheating was going to break him. He dropped to his knees, forehead sliding against the wood the whole way down, and began crying. Truly crying, in fact; powerful sobs wracked his frame. He'd never cried so hard in his life, except maybe when he hurt Theo and when he was locked away. It felt like a hole had been carved in his chest where his heart should have been.  
Noiz would never admit to himself just how much that asshole meant to him.  
Deciding that moping would get nothing done he stood up, drying his eyes and steadying his breath, before walking back into his room and hunting his clothes down. The ache in his chest persisted. Perhaps if he drank himself into a stupor at the bar it would stop. Yes...that seemed like the best choice of action. Grabbing his keys and his beanie he stomped out into the night air and went straight for the Black Needle.

 

Mizuki was swamped that night. His attention was being pulled between keeping an eye on the patrons spread out across the tables and the ones sitting at his bar trying to chat with him. He almost missed the flash of green and blue that wandered in.  
"Noiz! What are you doing here?" he called out, grabbing a glass and grabbing a few bottles.  
"I don't care what it is, I just want something to drink," he growled lowly. He dropped down onto the only empty bar stool, glaring daggers at the guy who walked up and started to argue with him.  
"Don't," Mizuki warned. The look in the angel's eyes was enough to make him back off. Returning his attention to the mortal he said, "Noiz, you know I can't technically give you anything. You're too young."  
"I don't give a fuck, Mizuki, I just want to get plastered right now." Mizuki saw the look in Noiz's eyes and pursed his lips.  
"...Alright. Give me a minute." He finished mixing the drink in front of him and set it down in front of a dainty blond before grabbing another. "I think I have something you might like."  
"Hnn." Noiz settled for picking at dirt underneath his fingernails while he waited. Behind him the sounds of a growing brawl drew Mizuki's attention.  
"Hey! Don't get rowdy, Koujaku! I don't feel like dragging your sorry ass upstairs to my couch again!" he warned. The hairdresser waved him off and went back to his conversation. "I swear, that idiot..." He growled and finished Noiz's drink before sliding it over to him. "White Russian."  
"Hmph." Noiz grabbed the glass and tilted it back, draining it in one go and slamming it down onto the glossed wood. "Another."  
"Noiz." The mortal looked up at Mizuki. "If you get too drunk you're not going anywhere. Understand?"  
"I don't care, just keep them coming." The angel sighed and began mixing another drink for him.  
"Your funeral, kid," he warned. After half an hour he turned his head for a split second away from Noiz to give Koujaku one final warning and when he looked back the blond was gone. "Noiz?"  
"I was just about to ask you about him." Mizuki locked eyes with Virus.  
"What about him?"  
"Do you know where he went?" Virus tilted his head and leaned forward onto the bar. "I need to talk to him."  
"No, I don't." Virus growled.  
"Did he tell you what happened?"  
"No, but I figured something happened between the two of you." Mizuki grabbed Noiz's glass and began cleaning it. "Why should I tell you anything?"  
"Please, Mizuki. I need to talk to him. It's important." Mizuki glanced over at him.  
"If you did something to hurt him bad enough to drive him to drink I don't think you need to."  
"Please! Trip went feral last night and I didn't want to lose him so I slept with him, and I told Noiz, and I just..." He instantly deflated. "I'm sorry. You don't care."  
"...I don't know where he went, but he was just here. I turned for a second and he was gone. That's all I know. See if maybe Koujaku noticed something," the angel suggested. "That's as far as I know."  
"Cinnamon..." It took a moment for the angel to realize what he meant.  
"Mink."  
"He must have just been here. Noiz's scent is mingled with his, they likely left together."  
"Why would Noiz have left with Mink?"  
"Depends on how sloshed he was."  
"Three or four white Russians."  
"He was too damn drunk to realize who it was, probably. If Mink dragged him away it means he knows I've been seeing Noiz, and if that's the case-"  
"Stop talking and go, now. If you hurry you might be able to save him." Virus slammed a coin on the counter and rushed outside. Mizuki picked the small yet weighted piece of metal up and looked it over.  
He'd just been given a favor by the yakuza, and a an important one at that. He'd have to wait to cash this one in. With a quiet hum he pocketed the coin and went about his business.  
Outside Virus was hot on the pair's trail, the scent of cinnamon unmistakable even mixed in with the rank of Midorijima night air. They were traveling farther and farther away from the Needle and more into the seedy part of town, one that Virus was all too familiar with. They were also bordering Scratch territory, and if Virus was found there would be bloodshed. Especially if they found out he was tailing their leader who may or may not have his lover prisoner.  
It was weird, thinking like that about Noiz. The realization that he was head over heels for a mortal unnerved him slightly, and reminded him of his 'relationship' with Trip half a century before. Remembering what had happened with him sent chills down his spine. So much blood...  
The scent of alcohol on the air was beginning to dissipate, meaning either Noiz was sobering up or Mink's cinnamon was overpowering even the smell of Kahlua. Virus was silently hoping for the previous. It meant Noiz might eventually have enough sense to leave on his own.  
He was moving carefully, not letting himself stay in the lights peppering the city for too long lest he attract unwanted attention. Morphine and Scratch were notorious enemies, and for someone as high-up as he to be caught here would mean instant death. Especially if said someone was a vampire and arguably a noble himself. Virus swore he could feel at least thirty sights trained on him as he followed the blond and brunette. A quick glance at his Coil revealed he was in the heart of Scratch territory. He would have to move quick if he wanted to get Noiz and leave with his life intact and as little bloodshed as possible.  
"...me?" That was Noiz's voice. Virus was close. He couldn't be far from wherever Mink had led them. Moving a little quicker he began closing in.  
"Because you're associating with Virus," Mink growled in return. Noiz licked his teeth and turned away, the alcohol in his system already long gone.  
"That asshole? I don't want anything to do with him anymore. Not after the shit he pulled," Noiz answered. "So please, don't bring him up again."  
"Still. You know him. You've spent time with him." Mink began reaching into the folds of his jacket.  
"I knew him. There's difference. I could care less if the little asshole dropped dead," the blond insisted. He scratched the back of his head underneath his beanie in frustration. His chest was beginning to ache at the thought of Virus. Why was he feeling like this? He hated Virus! That asshole cheated on him! With the same man that Aoba had cheated on him with, at that! The last thing he should be concerned with was Virus. "In fact I would be thrilled if he did."  
"I could easily arrange that," Mink mumbled. "I have a grudge against him anyway. If you could call it a grudge, that is." Noiz turned to face him.  
"What could he have done that would constitute you ha-" A blinding pain radiated from his chest and spread to every nerve in his body. Mink locked eyes with him, lip curled up in a pleased sneer.  
"The bastard is still alive," he answered smoothly. He shoved Noiz down onto his back, the knife still stuck in his ribs.  
"NOIZ!" Mink's head snapped up to find a very pissed Virus running full-speed at him. Deciding retreating was his best option at this point he beat a hasty retreat down an alley not far from where he stood. Virus didn't hesitate to slide down onto his knees beside Noiz. "Noiz?"  
"Vi...rus..." The vampire pulled Noiz up into his arms and brushed his hair back. His beanie slipped easily from his head. "It...hurts..."  
"Yeah...that knife is in you pretty far..." Virus touched it gingerly, jerking away when Noiz cried out loudly. "Fuck..."  
"Virus...make it stop...please..." Hand shaking violently, he reached up to fist the lapel of Virus's suit. "It hurts...please..."  
"Just hang on a bit longer, Noiz. I'll make it stop, I promise." Virus gently stroked his thumb along Noiz's cheek before leaning in closer. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you...I'm sorry I hurt you..."  
"It's...fine..." Noiz squeezed Virus's hand as hard as he could. The vampire barely felt the pressure. "I just wish...I could have...told you sooner...that I..."  
"Noiz, stop talking. It's fine." Virus smoothed his Noiz's hair out and smiled sadly. "Don't worry...I'll make it stop...I promise. Just close your eyes, okay?" Emerald eyes slipped closed slowly.  
"I...I love you." Virus froze, hand on the side of Noiz's neck.  
"I...I love you." Trip smiled sadly up at Virus and let out a wet cough. A few drops of blood stained the faux blond's lips. "Sorry...I never got the balls...to tell you sooner..."  
Virus felt tears stinging at his eyes. It was Trip all over again. The man he'd fallen in love with was about to die in his arms. He didn't want to lose him, but at the same time he didn't want to force Noiz into immortality. After all, any friendships he made from that point on would be tentative at best, unless they were with another immortal. He would be forced to watch as his family slowly wasted away, and considering that he was in love with Virus he'd never even be able to have children.  
"Noiz. I need you to answer me." Silence came in return. Gently he shook the body in his arms. "Noiz. Come on, I need you to wake up." Still nothing except the weak sound of Noiz breathing and the steadily slowing rhythm of his heart. Virus would have to make the decision for him.  
He only hoped he made the right one.

The first thing to return to him was his hearing. The sounds of shuffling on carpet caught his attention; he forced his eyes open and looked around him. There wasn't a soul in the room with him. After concentrating a moment he realized he was hearing bodies in the other room as though they were feet from him. He reached an arm up and began flexing and moving his fingers one by one. When he was satisfied with his inspection he began moving his feet next. After that he gingerly turned his head from side to side and found himself in a room that was both familiar and unfamiliar. The colors seemed to be different now, the slight differences in shades more evident now than they were before. Finally he began to sit up, slowly, so as not to cause him to become lightheaded. He felt an intense pain in his stomach, and his hand shot up to cradle it.  
"Ouch..." His voice sounded louder than it ever had, and even his dull whisper sounded painful to him. It was almost enough to send him into sensory overload. The soft silk of the sheets felt amazing against his skin. Each thread rubbed against him and sent goosebumps all along his flesh. His nose caught the distinct smell of blood and his stomach growled louder. "What...?" His legs were wobbly in supporting his weight when he crawled off the bed. "Mmmnnn...food..." He grabbed on to anything and everything he could and stumbled slowly towards the bedroom door. The sickly strong smell of sweets nearly made him hurl. His feet caught each other and sent him tumbling to the floor with a resounding thump.  
"What the fuck was that?" Trip asked. Virus looked back at his fledgling with pure terror.  
"I don't know. It sounded like it came from your room," he answered. "Trip...is there something you're not telling me?"  
"No." Trip and Virus locked eyes before both began down the hallway to the younger blond's room. Low moaning in what sounded like agony sent shivers up both their spines.  
There was no way in hell this was possible.  
"Trip."  
"I don't fucking know either. It's gotta be us hearing shit," he defended.  
"With both of us hearing the exact same thing, I assume?" Virus answered back.  
"..."  
"That's what I thought." Virus pushed Trip behind him and flicked open the other's bedroom door. What they saw drained the color from both of their faces.  
Aoba looked them both dead in the eyes, a brilliant, bloody red staining his, and whimpered.  
"Food..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *note from my fiance, who is writing this* I'm sorry this is turning out terrible, I've been struggling with college and not wanting to let this die. But now I'm done, so this should hopefully get a lot better!


	11. Remembering the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, I was not expecting to be off for this long, I am so sorry for those of you who are still reading this! I know that number is probably very low, but! To celebrate breaking 1000 hits, I'm doing a fic giveaway! The first person who comments with a fandom we share and a pairing they would like (or threesome, or moresome), I'll write a fic with them!  
> Disclaimer: Fic is subject to author's kinks, preferences, headcannons, etc. unless otherwise agreed upon by the requester and the author...that was like, the most legal thing I think I've ever written. XDXD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, I was not expecting to be off for this long, I am so sorry for those of you who are still reading this! I know that number is probably very low, but! To celebrate breaking 1000 hits, I'm doing a fic giveaway! The first person who comments with a fandom we share and a pairing they would like (or threesome, or moresome), I'll write a fic with them!  
> Disclaimer: Fic is subject to author's kinks, preferences, headcannons, etc. unless otherwise agreed upon by the requester and the author...that was like, the most legal thing I think I've ever written. XDXD

"Do you mind telling me what's going on?" Trip asked, voice cracking slightly. "Aoba's dead. Why is he laying on our couch asleep now?" Virus pinched the bridge of his nose lightly to stave off a slight headache he felt coming on. They'd been more frequent as of late; he attributed it to his own stupidity and a lack of proper sleep.  
"I'm not entirely sure, Trip..." he answered calmly. "Perhaps he's possessed?"  
"Demons only possess living bodies."  
"It could very well have possessed him just before he died. If that was the case it would take some time for the demon to force the body into its control, and letting the host die would provide the best solution for such a dilemma." The headache grew slightly worse, but it was still at a manageable level.  
"Still...his eyes were the exact same. When a demon possesses someone their eyes change colors for the first week or so. The likelihood of his eyes being the exact color of a demon's is slim to fucking none." Trip shook his head slowly. "You don't think Sly's back in control, do you?" he asked.  
"No, Sly and Aoba were too tightly bound. If one of them died the other would go with him, no questions asked." Virus cracked his neck and sighed. "I don't know. I really don't. This is just as confusing to you as it is to me."  
"Hnn...hey, Virus, are you okay? You look a lot paler than normal," Trip said.  
"I'm perfectly fine, Trip," Virus answered him sternly. There was nothing wrong with him. He still had Noiz to take care of. He wasn't going to let something as simple as a searing headache ruin that. "I'm going to check on Noiz." Virus turned and took two steps before falling face forward and drowning in total darkness.

"Hey. Wake up." Virus took a shaky breath and slowly cracked his eyes open. Trip stood over him, face shifting rapidly from worry to his normal expression. "Good. I was starting to worry you'd slipped into a coma. Don't need that happening."  
"Trip...? How long was I out?"  
"About a week," Trip said. Virus shot up, groaning as his eyes crossed from the change in position.  
"A week? And you didn't think I was in a coma? What the hell?" He paused in thought. "Where's Noiz?"  
"Right here." Virus forced his eyes back into focus and found Noiz absently tugging at a piercing on his lip and perched at the foot of his bed beside his feet. "So you're a vampire?"  
"Yeah...I'm assuming Trip has explained everything to you?" The youngest blond nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't do that."  
"Trip said you passed out about an hour before I woke up. We both forced some fresh blood down your throat to keep you from dying, and he took me out to feed too. I don't care for your usual blood whores." He watched Virus shake his head from side to side. "Their blood tastes really bitter."  
"You're taking this surprisingly well, Noiz." Trip grinned.  
"Isn't that a good thing? Remember when you turned me?"  
"How could I forget the month you spent in self-loathing, denial, and outright hate for me that nearly killed you?" Virus deadpanned. The pair shared a light smile.  
"Hey, you think I'm complaining about never having to worry about dying?" Noiz butted in. "All that means is I'll have longer to do whatever the fuck I want."  
"Exact same mentality Trip had."  
"What about you, Virus? What were you like as a fledgling?" The eldest blond cringed openly at the memory. "Don't want to talk about it?"  
"I'd prefer not to."  
"Okay." Noiz seemed colder than before to Virus, and he was about to ask why when he remembered. He'd basically cheated on Noiz with the same man Aoba had left him for. No wonder Noiz was pissed.  
"Noiz...about what happened with Trip-"  
"He already explained it to me. I still think you're fucking stupid for it, but...I'm also glad you did. If you hadn't you'd probably be dead, and I'd probably be dead, and Trip would surely be dead, so the three of us wouldn't be sitting here having a 'pleasant'-" He added air quotes himself for emphasis. "-chat on your bed right now."  
"Virus, I wasn't sure about this when you turned him, but now I'm glad you did."  
"Where's Aoba?"  
"Oh, you mean Ren?" Noiz tilted his head and sighed. "He's asleep on the couch. I pretty much got a crash course on the world of immortality while you were out of it from Trip and Sei. Had no clue they were that old, though apparently Aoba didn't either."  
"Ah. I forgot, we separated Ren as a contingency plan in the event of Aoba's death...damn, that must have shocked him." Trip finally handed Virus his glasses.  
"Yeah. He freaked out for at least six hours before we finally calmed him down. When we told him what happened he just started crying. He'd almost forgotten that he was a part of Aoba. We should just be glad the split was clean enough to keep Ren from dying. On a somewhat off note, he says he can't tell whether or not Sly is still rattling around up in there with him, but I think it's safe to assume he booked it with Aoba," Trip explained. "Sei was starting to get worried. The boss is getting pissed that you weren't awake, too." The only time Trip referred to Toue as "the boss" was around someone who didn't know what, exactly, it was that they did. Which meant Trip and Sei both had neglected to inform Noiz. Perfect.  
"Eh, he can choke on his own sperm for all I care," Virus grunted. "And now, because I've been neglecting to ask, how are you feeling Noiz?"  
"Better than I've felt in years. Thanks to Trip I managed to avoid sensory overload when I came out of it, so I've actually been conscious this entire week. He said if you hadn't woken up by midnight we'd go out, feed again, and try to get you to swallow some too."  
"You know, Noiz, considering what Trip did to you, I'm surprised you aren't trying to rip his throat out."  
"He did, quite literally, and nearly succeeded." Trip tilted his head back to bare his throat; bright red and angry marks that were struggling to heal marred his flesh. "I think we fought for two days? Something like that. Only reason we separated was because Sei came to check on you and ripped us apart. You know, for someone who's always so frail, he's strong as fuck."  
"He's only twenty some-odd years younger than me, Trip. Even weak he's got more strength in his left pinky than you do in your whole body, arguably. Imagine if he was at full strength." Both Virus and Trip shivered.  
"I don't want to. Sei is terrifying enough when he's pissed," Trip pointed out. Virus sighed and rolled out of bed.  
"I'm hungry..." he grumbled. "Come. Let's feed."

"Hey there, cutie." Trip propped against the wall of the club and smirked. "You look good enough to eat." The brunette blushed and pushed part of her hair behind her ear. Music thumped from the speakers across the floor; if Trip were standing any closer he'd end up with a splitting migraine.  
"Thank you..." she whispered, eyes darting from side to side. "I'm sure you've said that to plenty of girls though." Trip straightened up and strutted in a semi-circle, pinning the girl against the wall to her side.  
"Hmm...very few girls actually strike my fancy. I guess you could call me shallow." Her back hit the wall and she let out a gentle squeak.  
"Ah...umm...eh...heh...umm..." Trip brought his fingers under her chin and tilted it up, his own head cocking gently to the side.  
"Mmm...you really do look good..." Her legs began shaking underneath her. "Why don't you and I find a quieter place, hmm?" Trip's other hand locked with hers and his eyes held hers in a steady gaze as he backed out towards the entrance. The brunette felt a light blush creep up on her face as she followed him. Trip cast a low glance at the bouncer as he led her out and he received a curt not.  
It was nice being a vampire sometimes.  
Her blood tasted sweet running down his throat. He'd nearly forgotten how good blood tasted when it wasn't from a blood whore who had been bled so many times that their body couldn't produce it properly anymore. When he pulled away the charming girl had a look of lust glazing over her eyes. Trip smiled weakly and walked with her back into the club before dropping her off and leaving. No sense hanging around after he'd already fed. Virus and Noiz would likely be waiting for him anyway.  
Sure enough the two of them were happily chatting with each other in front of Mizuki's bar.  
"Odd seeing you around here, Virus. I thought you avoided this place as best you could," Trip commented.  
"Hmm. Noiz said he wanted to come by and talk to Mizuki." This made Trip's eyebrow arch.  
"Talk to Mizuki? Why would he want to talk to Mizuki?" Virus shrugged and looked over at his lover.  
"Don't ask me. He's the one that asked after we fed. Hurry it up, Noiz. We don't have all night." Noiz mumbled something to himself before shoving his hat into Virus's chest and walking inside.  
"Noiz? What are you doing here?" Mizuki asked, setting a glass down. Tonight was a slow night thankfully, which meant that Mizuki wouldn't miss too much if he stopped to talk to Noiz.  
"I came to ask how Sei was doing. I haven't seen him since he came to visit Virus when he passed out." Mizuki felt himself smile sadly at the question.  
"Sei's been in the Tower since then. I haven't been able to break him out since then. I meant to ask Virus or Trip when I saw them again what's up with him." Noiz scowled slightly.  
"In the Tower?" The redhead bit his tongue.  
"Never mind."  
"Mizuki, you angelic bastard, tell me what you mean." Soft amber eyes widened for a brief second before relaxing.  
"How much do you know?"  
"We don't have time, Mizuki. Virus is pissy, he only just fed a few minutes ago after nearly starving for a week." The angel clicked his tongue and turned to the side.  
"Sei's the prince. Toue's the king and his father. Toue apparently has some sort of plans for Sei and won't let him go that easily. Most of the time Sei's stuck there, rotting away and weak as a mortal. He's only let out when Toue sees fit or I break him out." Noiz nodded and pulled back.  
"Well that sucks. He really can't leave when he wants?" he asked.  
"No. If that were the case he would be here right now instead of crying his eyes out and wanting me to hold him until he fell asleep," Mizuki said.  
"You can tell what he's feeling from here? Oval Tower is so far away. Isn't there a distance limit on that kind of thing?"  
"Between a powerful empath and the person they're attached to, yes. But I'm an angel, as you said. I don't have a range limit on the one I'm bonded to." Absently Noiz dropped down onto one of the bar stools.  
"Sei must mean a lot to you." The angel turned his eyes up at the single painting hanging out in the bar area, framed and covered with glass. There were no details, the picture comprised of nothing but gentle lines. An angel with a red line for the top of its head, amber dots for its eyes, and blue wings reached towards a skeletal hand, a shackle hanging loose at the wrist.  
"Yeah. You could say that." Noiz followed his gaze and stared for a few brief seconds.  
"That's Sei's work, isn't it?" he asked. Mizuki nodded. "Then that angel must be you. And the hand is Sei's." Another curt nod. "How did you two meet?"  
"It was just after Virus had taken Trip on as his fledgling. The two of them had taken Sei out for some fresh air and...misplaced him, you could say. I was wandering around Midorijima that night and found him hiding in an alley. He wouldn't tell me much, just that he was alone and scared. Now, a quick precursor to this story; vampires don't get along well with most other immortals. Angels, demons, sirens, succubi...most all of them have a rather distasteful opinion of your kind." Mizuki stopped to pour himself a shot of what looked like bourbon before knocking it back. "I knew what Sei was as soon as I saw him."  
"If you knew he was a vampire then why did you help him?" Noiz was tempted to ask Mizuki to pour him a drink as well but decided against it.  
"I spent my childhood raised to help anyone no matter what. I didn't know angels were supposed to hate vampires until I was older, and by that time I couldn't bring myself to do it. Sei was just so...I don't know how to describe it. Something about him just drew me to him. I didn't have a bar at the time, so instead I took him to a restaurant and managed to get him some food." Noiz raised an eyebrow.  
"Food or 'food'?" he asked, putting more emphasis on the second iteration.  
"He was barely able to stand on his own. That should answer your question. I had to force him to feed. Poor boy was terrified that he would hurt the guy." He took another shot of bourbon. "When he saw Trip and Virus he apologized and ran off. Didn't think I'd see him again until he showed up in front of my door about a month later."  
"What was he doing in front of your door?"  
"He told me he wanted to see me again. Told me the only person that had been nice to him in his life had been Virus. The third sentence out of his mouth was, 'Do you want to go on a date with me?' I looked at him like he was crazy for a few seconds. 'You do know I'm an angel, right?' I asked him. He blushed and looked down at his feet. 'Yes,' he told me. 'But you were so sweet to me I didn't think you'd turn me away. I'm sorry to bother you. I guess I'll go.' I had to grab him to keep him from walking off. After talking for a few more minutes he managed to con me into taking him out to some restaurant he'd seen the last time Virus and Trip had brought him out that he thought looked good. It was so adorable. He was acting like he was a child and I knew damn good and well he was a helluva lot older than that. Still, I took him out. You've seen him, do you think you could say no to that face? If you weren't in love with Virus, that is." Noiz shook his head slowly.  
"No. I'm almost positive I couldn't."  
"Exactly. What made it really adorable? That was only our second meeting and he had to kiss me. He told me afterwards he didn't know what had possessed him. His face was so red and he couldn't look me in the eyes. From that point on I knew I had to have him." He felt his lips turn up slightly. "I fell so hard for that damn vamp that I couldn't imagine being without him now." The door to the bar opened suddenly.  
"Hey, what's the brat doing here?" Noiz rolled his eyes and turned to Koujaku.  
"Look here, asshole. I don't have the patience to deal with your old ass right now." Mizuki tapped the back of Noiz's hand.  
"Don't. Koujaku's got enough problems as it is, he doesn't need a punk fledgling making things worse," he warned. The blond raised an eyebrow.  
"Hmm?"  
"Fledgling? Who decided to turn the little shit?" Koujaku asked.  
"Virus. Apparently he'd fallen in love with Noiz and couldn't bare the thought of him dying." Neither person missed the slight flush that crept up on the fledgling's face. "So he turned him."  
"Hmm. Guess he's not all that bad, if Virus is falling for him." Koujaku trotted over to beside Noiz. "My apologies then. Anyway, to explain the previous statement, I'm...well, I'm not alone up here," he explained, tapping on the side of his skull.  
"Not alone?" Koujaku sighed and looked down at the back of his hand.  
"Long story short I'm possessed. Well, more like a joint hold over this body. Usually he's pretty quiet, but...if you rile me up too bad he makes a nasty appearance. And it usually ends in a lot of bloodshed." Mizuki patted Koujaku on his back and sighed.  
"Yeah. I've never personally seen it, but I don't think I actually want to. I'd hate to see what happens when the curse's seal is broken" Noiz's head tilted.  
"Why was he cursed in the first place?" Koujaku audibly growled.  
"My father decided to make a deal with a kitsune and use me as the payment. I think you can fill in the rest." Virus suddenly ducked his head in and growled. Noiz sighed, arms crossing, not quite wanting to go back to the manor just yet.  
"No, Virus."  
"It's not wise to tell your sire no, Noiz." Virus walked in, eyes holding a steady gaze with his fledgling. Trip followed behind him quietly and sucking at a lollipop."Come on. We have to go."  
"I don't want to. I want to talk to Mizuki and Koujaku." Blue orbs rolled gently.  
"Noiz, we don't have all night. It's bad enough Trip and I have to leave you and Ren alone when we go to work later, we don't-"  
"Then leave me here. And bring Ren. These two won't let anything happen to us. You know this."  
"Ren? Who's Ren?" Virus rolled his eyes again and grabbed Noiz's wrist.  
"We don't have time to continue this conversation. Noiz, let's go."  
"No!" Noiz snatched back, wincing at the powerful grip his sire had on his arm. "Let me go!"  
"Hmm, already having problems keeping the kid in check? Maybe turning him wasn't such a good idea," Koujaku commented.  
"Shut it, Koujaku," Mizuki advised, clearing his throat and moving away. "This isn't our business. We're not vampires."  
"I'd listen to the angel if I were you." Virus's eyes turned a deep bloody red without warning, making Noiz gasp. "And as for you, Noiz. You are coming back with Trip and I now. I would rather like to not forcefully drag you back and raise suspicions, so your options are either to come easily, or I knock your ass out and carry you back. If I were you I'd pick the first." Noiz felt liquid fear run through his veins. A week before the other blond was begging him not to die and dragging him across the threshold of mortality and immortality, and now he looked like he was on the verge of slaughtering Noiz simply because he'd told him no.  
"...I'm sorry..." Noiz breathed. "I'll...I'll come back with you."  
"That would be the best decision." The hand at his arm moved down to his hand to grasp it gently, bringing it up to his lips for a gentle kiss. "Let's return home, Noiz."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because some people neglect to read the notes at the beginning.  
> Holy shit, I was not expecting to be off for this long, I am so sorry for those of you who are still reading this! I know that number is probably very low, but! To celebrate breaking 1000 hits, I'm doing a fic giveaway! The first person who comments with a fandom we share and a pairing they would like (or threesome, or moresome), I'll write a fic with them!  
> Disclaimer: Fic is subject to author's kinks, preferences, headcannons, etc. unless otherwise agreed upon by the requester and the author...that was like, the most legal thing I think I've ever written. XDXD


	12. The Pain of the Past

Trip could smell Virus and Noiz across the manor in his sire's room and it made his blood boil. The only emotion he could imagine it being was jealousy; he was jealous of Noiz. He thought that part of his relationship with Virus was over-with already, but obviously a part of him still wanted Virus as his own.  
"Ah...Noiz..." Another low moan worked its way out of Virus's throat. Trip slammed his pillow over his ears and tried to block out the sounds of Virus screwing another man. Trip couldn't believe he was letting something as petty as jealousy invade his mind. He was fifty years old for fuck's sake, a little older than that in reality. Virus was four times his age and had every right to let someone in his bed besides Trip. They'd broken up a decade ago, Trip swore that he felt nothing for his sire anymore. And yet here he was, listening intently to the rhythmic squeaking of Virus's mattress and the pleasant moans he was wringing from his newest fledgling.  
Newest fledgling... Trip scoffed and looked at his far wall. It seemed that Virus had a habit of turning people he 'loved.' Give him long enough, Trip thought to himself. He'll tire of Noiz and find some other poor human to fall in love with and pull in, leaving Noiz alone and hurt and...broken. Like him. Trip began curling in on himself and gasped. There was a slightly painful pressure against the crotch of his pants. Fuck. Why was he getting hard at the thought of Virus fucking that stupid brat?  
'Because you're imagining yourself in his place,' his mind told him softly. 'You're imagining Virus pounding you into the mattress instead, wanting his hand to grab the back of your neck and hold you down to the mattress like a cat and fuck you as hard as he can.' Trip's hand slipped down the front of his pants to move the zipper down, flick the button open, and move his underwear out of the way.  
"Virus...!" Noiz squeaked, nails scraping roughly down Virus's back, fang worrying his lip to the point where it bled. "Oh hell, Virus..."  
"Mmmnn...you feel wonderful, Noiz..." Trip smeared a bit of the precome across the tip and down his length before gripping himself and stroking slowly. In his mind the hand pleasuring him was much slimmer and had a much gentler grip.  
"Virus..." he whispered, thumb slipping across the slit and sending a powerful shiver down his spine.  
"Hngh! Not so rough, Noiz..." Trip felt himself smirk as he twisted his hand a little. Noiz must have bit Virus; the smell of blood drifted over to him and made him shiver a little more.  
"Sorry," Noiz apologized and began to move. Trip could tell that Noiz was riding his lover now. Pausing his hand for a moment he raised up onto his knees and tightened his grip before proceeding to fuck his hand shallowly.  
"Vi...rus..." Trip groaned lowly in his throat and let out a shaky breath. The movements from the other room grew faster, and the squeaks increased in volume. Noiz cried out and Trip hissed. He should be the one on the verge of screaming because of Virus.  
He heard panting and thought he was losing control before realizing the sounds were coming from the other room. Virus was getting close. Trip knew those pants all too well, had heard them for nearly four decades. He moved his hand faster and let all of his senses focus on the heat pooling in his hips.  
"Virus...Virus..."  
"Mmmnn...Virus..." Trip sucked a sharp breath between his teeth and let his eyes slip closed. His heart pounded in his ears as his hand moved across his dick to bring him closer to completion. He was so fucking close...  
Suddenly the eldest blond let out a very raucous and loud moan. The sound went straight to Trip's groin and threw him the rest of the way over.  
"Virus...!" Trip gasped before leaning forward and letting his orgasm rip through him, pure white blurring his vision as well as staining his sheets.   
"VIRUS!" Noiz's back arched and pressed his cock into Virus's stomach as he came.  
"Noi...z..." Virus grunted and tightened his grip with the strength of his release, eyes unfocusing and head falling backwards.  
Trip paused for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath, before grimacing at what he'd done. He wasn't bothered by the fact that he'd came all over his sheets. He couldn't count the number of times that he'd done that. He was bothered by the fact that he had just masturbated to the sounds of Virus fucking Noiz. His new fledgling. His new toy. Trip moved off of the bed and angrily ripped the sheets from the mattress.  
His new lover.  
Trip was disgusted. He just wasn't sure if it was more with Virus or himself.

Virus sighed when Noiz rolled off of him and onto his side. As much as he wanted to stay he had business to take care of. Gingerly he crawled out of his own bed (he hadn't done that in ages) and over to where his clothes lay. He pulled his pants on and tiptoed out into the hallway. Noiz didn't stir. The occupant across the manor, however, was still wide awake, and that was where Virus was going.  
"Tch. Fucking bastard..." Trip shoved a chocolate ecclair into his mouth and chewed angrily. His sweet tooth had come back with a vengeance. "Sometimes I wonder why the hell I stay around..."  
"Then why don't you leave?" Trip jumped, the sudden motion making him choke on the sweet in his mouth. A coughing fit ensued, which subsided after a few moments and left him struggling to breathe. "Sorry. Probably should have knocked first."  
"Goddammit, Virus...I hate when you sneak up on me..." Trip coughed a few more times before swallowing harshly.  
"Again. Sorry." Virus stepped in, kicking the door shut gently.  
"So why are you here?" Trip grabbed a bottle of water beside his bed and washed the sweet down.  
"Did you really think I wouldn't hear you?" Virus deadpanned, arms crossing in front of his chest and a gentle grin creeping up on him. Instead of choking the younger froze mid-swallow.  
"What do you mean?" he asked shakily. He knew his voice was cracking. Even though they'd been lovers for most of his life Virus still terrified him.  
"I heard you moan my name when you came, Trip. I might have been focusing on Noiz but that didn't mean my other senses weren't focusing on other matters. As old as I am I've learned how to keep my ears open while my body is busy." Trip frowned and turned off to the side almost as red as a strawberry.  
"Shut it, Virus..." he whispered. The shorter slowly walked over, patiently putting one foot in front of the other, stopping right in front of the bed. A perfectly tweezed and waxed eyebrow raised up.  
"Embarrassed, Trip? It's not the first time you've masturbated to me."  
"But it's the first time I've done it to you having sex with someone else, jackass." Trip felt his mouth go dry; the taste of chocolate in his mouth wasn't something he wanted at that moment.  
"Were you jealous, Trip?" Bright blue eyes narrowed at matching orbs.  
"No," he defended quickly. "I'm not jealous. We aren't together anymore. We haven't been together in ten years. I have no reason to be jealous." Virus's lips twitched for a second.  
"I find that hard to believe," he purred. "I know you too well, Trip."  
"Shut up, Virus."  
"What? Can't come to terms with the fact that you still love me?"  
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Virus's grin faded into a frown in a split second.  
"If you wake Noiz you'll regret it," he warned softly. Trip growled lowly and leaned back against his headboard. The sound was repeated from underneath his bed, the power of it making the frame rumble.   
"Hush, Welter. It's only Virus." Trip grabbed a small bowl of strawberry pudding and began shoveling it into his mouth.  
Virus's hand ran through his hair in frustration. Trip had childish tendencies, yes, but he was throwing a temper tantrum at this point. He had never been forced to deal with him in this state.  
"Trip..." The only acknowledgement he received was two eyes turning up at him. The spoon was still clamped firmly between his lips. "Why didn't you say anything?"  
"You were perfectly happy with our relationship the way it was after the split. After all, the only time we really had any 'contact' after was-"  
"I remember. Trust me. I remember." Virus shivered lightly at the memories.  
"Then why should I try to force you back into something you didn't want? I may be a dick sometimes, but I'm not THAT much of a dick."  
"Well, that didn't stop you from seducing Aoba and stealing him away from Noiz." Trip flinched.  
"I had my reasons for that." Virus crawled up onto the bed and made himself comfortable at Trip's feet.  
"Oh? And what reasons were those, Trip? If I may ask." The younger set his pudding down and grabbed a piece of angel food cake.  
"I don't have to answer you, asshole. I did my fifty years." Virus's head tilted.  
"You make it sound almost as though it were a prison sentence. I tried to make it as pleasant as I could. It's not my fault you fought with me."  
"I didn't fight with you."  
"Oh? If you didn't fight with me then tell me why I left you."  
"I don't know, because you're a prick?"  
"Hmm. Someone's getting pissed. You're speaking English again."  
"SHUT UP!" Trip's fist slammed into the side of his sire's cheek and launched him against the far bedroom wall. He was certain Noiz would feel the vibrations and come running. The last thing he wanted was to see that bastard right now, so he grabbed Virus by his perfectly feathered and styled hair, opened his bedroom door, and threw him down the hallway as far as he could without breaking anything. Certain that he had accomplished that he slammed his door shut.  
He was fucked now. He'd hit Virus. There was no way he'd get away with that. He'd be lucky if all he got was a severe beating and being starved for a week and a half. How could he do that, how could he be so stupid!? He thought about running for a second before realizing that wouldn't do any good. Virus knew where he was at all times, even if he tried his damndest he couldn't hide. Virus also wouldn't hesitate to tell Sei what he'd done, and every time he'd go in to work he'd get a death glare from Sei and be treated like he was dirt.  
"Trip. We need to talk." Trip's blood ran cold. Virus wasn't speaking Japanese anymore. "If you don't open the door, I will make your life a living hell. We both know you don't want that, so please. Open the door before I break it down."  
Virus only spoke English when he was furious. Virus glaring at you was frustrated. When he growled he was angry. When he screamed he was pissed.  
When he spoke in the calmest voice ever in perfect, crisp English, death was promised. When Trip first met Virus that point was made clear within their first three meetings. Trip had never really thought about it and assumed he was exaggerating until one day, after about twenty years as his fledgling, a hunter had gotten lucky and managed to pin Trip to the ground by his shoulders and wrists. Wooden spikes were running through muscle and holding him firm; he couldn't move even if he wanted to. The hunter had taken three steps towards him when Virus had shown up.  
"That's my fledgling." There was no waver in the elder's voice as he walked forward, eyes narrowed on his target. That was the first time Trip had heard him speak in anything but Japanese. "If I were you, I would advise releasing him." After regaining a bit of his composure he repeated it in Japanese.  
"Oh yeah? And if I don't? What are you gonna do, drain me dry? Have fun with that. My blood's poison to your kind." The hunter had reared back to jam another spike between Trip's eyes when he'd found himself about two feet off the ground and struggling to breath with a vice grip around his larynx.  
"Tut tut tut. You should have listened when I warned you." He'd slipped back into English. "If you'd done that, I wouldn't be doing this to you, now would I?" He reached up and pinched the tip of a forefinger clean off. When his prey had started screaming he squeezed his throat tighter to cut him off. "See, I'm normally a very agreeable person." Next came the end of his middle finger. "But you touched my fledgling." The tip of the next finger popped off. "A fledgling that I am also." His pinky came with little effort. "In a relationship with." The blood was pouring by now; he grabbed a lighter from the front of his suit and burned the wounds until they'd stopped bleeding, then proceeded to remove the next joint in line. "A committed relationship, at that." He paused for a second before ripping the next section of his middle finger off. "That was a very pour decision." His eyes held the mortal's gaze steady as he removed the next part of his ring finger. "You should know better." Virus heard a bone snap in the mortal's pinky when he pulled the joint off. "Than to mess with a fledgling." He reached up and sealed the wounds again before removing the first part of the thumb, and realizing he was a row off he jerked the rest of it off. He moved quickly to staunch the blood flow before returning to the task at hand. "Sires are protective of them." He watched a pale face contort when he took the last bit of his pointer finger. "Even more protective of our lovers." He bent the tiny bit of the middle finger around for a moment before popping it off. "When those positions coincide." He gripped both the ring and pinky finger together before turning a cold gaze back up. His eyes were a deep blood red. "Look at them wrong and we'll send you to hell." He pulled back as hard as he could, smiling crookedly as the last pieces of flesh came off with ease. He sealed the last of the wounds up and dropped the hunter to the ground. He'd lost a lot of blood and would likely be disoriented for a few hours, but he would live. Virus had made sure of it. His attention quickly moved over to where Trip lay.  
"Are you alright?" he'd asked, walking over and ripping the wood out with ease. He was back to his old self now, acting as thought he hadn't just brutally maimed a human who had tried to kill his fledgling.  
"Yeah..." Trip learned that day just how terrifying his sire was and how poor of an idea it was to make him cross.  
"Trip."  
"Give me a minute." There was no sense in apologizing. Virus wouldn't accept it. So he steeled himself and opened the door, eyes closed and jaw tense.  
"I don't appreciate you punching me and then throwing me out of your room." Trip swallowed and opened his eyes. Virus was bleeding from the side of his head.  
"I didn't think you would." The shorter turned his head until his neck popped, presumably back into socket, then in the other direction to pop a joint.  
"Your temper has gotten the better of you many times with me, but never once have you struck me." He took a step forward, forcing the younger to take one back.  
"You've never agitated me that much, either." Trip figured that if he were going to die soon, might as well say what he wanted.  
"How was I agitating you, hmm?"  
"You wouldn't quit pestering me about why I never told you I still loved you. I told you, I didn't want to say anything. You were happy without me."  
"That's not what our conversation was about right before you hit me, Trip."  
"Well that's the last thing I remember." Virus sighed.  
"Tch. Figures. Can't even remember a simple conversation. Then let me jog your memory; why did I leave you if you didn't always fight with me?" The taller looked down at his feet.  
"You were bored with me." He heard a quiet noise of confusion in Virus's throat. "You'd had your fun with me. I wasn't as entertaining as you thought I'd be. I caused more trouble than I was worth and you were always taking care of me when I should have been trying to take care of myself. It didn't take me long to realize that, so I...I started arguing with you. I started ignoring you and not listening to you. I'd fight with you over the simplest of things. I'd try and rile you up just so you'd blow up on me and act like you really cared. I guess I only really ever felt like you loved me when you were mad at me. At least then you paid attention to me." He didn't realize he'd started crying until he saw a tear fall from his cheek and land on his foot. No point in holding back now. "And to answer your other question, I did what I did to Noiz because I could tell you were falling for him, and I knew Noiz wouldn't go for you if he were still with Aoba. So I broke them up so you'd have a chance. You weren't happy, you hadn't been since before we broke up. Long before we broke up, in fact. I just wanted to do something that wouldn't make you mad at me for once." He looked off to the side and added, "But I guess that didn't work either. Do whatever you want to me. I've suffered enough at your hands; what's a little more?" Silence passed between them, Trip assuming Virus was deciding just what punishment he would put Trip through. When the elder instead turned and walked out, quietly shutting the door behind him, Trip was stunned. The look of shock on his face stayed for a few moments before he shook it away and began readying for bed.  
Virus confused him to no end sometimes.


	13. Unplanned Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, ladies and gentlemen, there's only two more characters I have to introduce completely, and then EVERYTHING JUST HAPPENS FROM THERE.  
> Posted a bit early in celebration of my fic hitting 1200 hits~!  
> The part in parentheses isn't in Japanese.  
> I need help with this fic, please. T.T It's kinda important, because it's what changes a certain dynamic between two characters, and I don't know how I want to do it. If you would like to help/discuss this with me, message me on Tumblr at http://avirhapsodos.tumblr.com/ . Thank you!

Six months had passed since Noiz was turned. He'd adjusted quite well, much to Virus's joy. It meant he wouldn't have to constantly be there to hold his hand.  
Ren was struggling, but was making progress. He'd come to terms with the fact that Aoba was gone and Ren was now inhabiting his body rather quickly, and had gotten used to the idea of drinking blood just as quickly. Noiz spent most of his days taking care of the other vampire when he wasn't busy himself still tracking the Rhyme fields. Usui had started repeating places again, but Mizuki would always relay where Sei was planning for her to be. Neither the angel nor the prince wanted to see him broke and completely dependent upon Virus, even though Noiz was now his.  
Speaking of Noiz being Virus's, after the conversation between Trip and Virus the eldest blond was being much more discreet with his escapades in the bedroom with Noiz. Trip was thankful for that, but also somewhat sad; it meant Virus was making changes in his relationship for someone he hadn't been with in so long. He brought this up one day and Virus had just shrugged and said, "I don't mind. I don't want other people hearing my business anyway."  
Today the four had returned to Noiz's old apartment to collect what few things he'd left there. On a whim Koujaku had decided to tag along, saying he had nothing better to do since he wasn't opening up today. After spending time with them Koujaku had found they were actually quite agreeable.  
"Wow. You really didn't have much, did you, Noiz?" he asked. The blond grunted in answer and grabbed a piece of paper he had tacked up to his bedroom wall.  
"No. I didn't. I never really thought it was necessary to keep a lot of things." He carefully folded the paper up and tucked it into the front pocket of his shirt.  
"Even when you and Aoba were together?" Koujaku asked.  
"Most of the things that were in Noiz's apartment were Aoba's," Ren explained. "Noiz complained whenever he would bring something else home to add to his collection." Koujaku turned to where Ren was standing and shook his head.  
"It's strange still. You're in Aoba's body, and yet you aren't him. No matter how many times I remember I still want to call you Aoba," he said. He felt something brush against his toes and he glanced down to find a small cube bouncing near his feet. "Hmm?"  
"Ah. There's that damn cube. Must have hidden out after I died," Noiz explained as he reached down to scoop it up.  
"P! Noiz is back!" The cube hopped again and nearly launched itself out of his palm.  
"Yes, Usagi. I'm here. And alive. Well, as alive as a vampire can be," he muttered to himself. "Any corruptions in the files?"  
"Everything is running at optimal function! No loss to memory banks and no corruptions! System maintenance not necessary for three months! Software up to date!"  
"Did you build him yourself?" Koujaku asked, plucking the cube from the fledgling's hand and looking it over.  
"Yes. It wasn't hard to find the base plans for an animal-type AllMate and make a few small adjustments to allow something more compact and immovable. There's a small spring built into the underside that lets him bounce around." The cube bounced up again and made a small noise.  
"P! Guest coming up the stairs!" Virus and Trip froze.  
"What?" Virus asked. Three quiet knocks came from the door. Noiz moved over to answer the door without thinking. "Noiz, no!"  
"(Good evening, Wilhelm! How are you?)" a chipper voice called. Virus and Trip leaned to either side of Noiz to get a better look at their unexpected guest.  
"Theo?" Noiz rubbed at his eyes in disbelief. He hadn't seen Theo in nearly five years, he'd been much smaller and slimmer and still looked almost exactly like him. "(How the hell did you find me)?"  
"(It didn't take much. There aren't very many Germans here in Midorijima. That and you kind of left a trail every time you used the family's money. This is where you live?)" Theo ducked his head in a bit and looked around. "(There's not much here, is there?)"  
"(I don't live here anymore, I live with...)" Noiz frowned; he wasn't sure how to explain him living with Virus and Trip. "(Some friends of mine. Can you not speak Japanese?)"  
"(No, I can. I just want to have a conversation with you and not have to worry about people eavesdropping on us,)" the younger explained.  
During the entire conversation Koujaku was focused entirely on Theo. The blond was handsome, no doubt about that. It seemed that he knew Noiz; he assumed the younger was an old friend from wherever he was from who had finally tracked him down. He could faintly hear whenever Theo spoke and found himself shivering at the sound. Such a soft voice...  
'Mine.' Koujaku's eyes widened. The demon had woken up, and obviously had taken a liking to whoever this person was.  
'No,' Koujaku argued back. 'He's a human.'  
'MINE.'  
"Noiz." Virus cleared his throat to gain the attention of his fledgling, who turned to look at him. "Would you mind introducing us to your acquaintance?"  
"Oh. Right. Ummm..." Noiz took a deep breath and stepped out of the way. "This is Theo. My little brother."  
"Little...brother?" Koujaku swore softly to himself. There was no way in HELL he was letting that demon touch ANYTHING related to Noiz with his body.  
"You never mentioned you had any siblings," Virus said.  
"I never thought he'd try and find me," Noiz answered honestly. Theo moved past his brother farther into the room and smiled.  
"But I'm here now! You said you weren't living here anymore?" he asked to his sibling.  
"Right. I'm living with these two now," he answered, flicking his hand over to where Virus and Trip stood. "The shorter one's Virus. The taller's Trip."  
"Nice to meet you." His eyes traveled over to where Ren stood. "And you are...?"  
"Ren," he said calmly. He could see the resemblance between the two brothers. The only major difference was Noiz was covered in metal and slightly slimmer.  
"Hmm." Theo then turned to the final occupant of the room and froze.  
Koujaku was quite the looker, he decided quickly. The scar across his nose added to his charms. His red eyes were absolutely gorgeous to Theo; they reminded him of tiny rubies. His hair looked soft, and Theo found he wanted to run his hands through it to feel it against his skin.  
"And you?" he asked quietly.  
"Koujaku," the hair dresser answered calmly.  
"Koujaku..." Theo whispered. "I like that name. It's a nice name."  
"Thank you."  
'Mine...' The hair dresser flinched inwardly. The demon wasn't giving him up easily. It terrified Koujaku. 'He's mine.'  
'NO!'  
"Hey, Theo...how long are you planning on staying?" Noiz asked. The blond turned to his brother and smiled.  
"I'm moving here," he answered. Noiz turned a little paler at his brother's plans.  
"Theo, you can't do that. You don't need to do that. Trust me," he warned.  
"Why not? I finally found you. I know you don't want to go back to Germany," Theo said. Noiz groaned.  
"Theo, please tell me-"  
"No. Mom and Dad don't know where you are. I intentionally left that part out. Even though they both want you back home." Theo watched his brother deflate."Wilhelm?"  
"Noiz." He blinked slowly. "It's...I go by Noiz now."  
So his parents had wanted him to come home...of course they only cared about him when he disappeared, though. He hadn't cared before about whether or not his disappearance actually affected them. Obviously it had. And now there was no chance in Noiz going back home. He was Virus's fledgling, and he couldn't exactly bring home both blonds and tell his parents he was in a relationship with one and the other was...whatever they would have decided Trip would be. Perhaps if he were still human he could have gone home, but now...he was at Virus's beck and call until likely long after they died. Absently his tongue pressed against the tip of one of his fangs.  
"Oh. Wilhelm...is something the matter?" Theo asked.  
"No, no. Nothing's wrong." Virus frowned. He could tell something was wrong and made it a point to ask him later. "Just trust me when I say it would be better if you went back to Germany after a few days. And I told you, I go by Noiz now." Theo frowned and stepped closer to him.  
"Wilhe-...Noiz, I'm not leaving you. I ran away when I finally found where you were. Mom and Dad are probably wondering where I am by now. I'm. Not. Going. Back." Noiz growled and grabbed Theo by the front of his shirt.  
"You're going back, Theo, whether you want to or not! It's for your own safety, and I'm NOT going to let you get hurt because I couldn't protect you like I'm supposed to!" Theo shoved his brother off and growled back.  
"I'm not a child anymore! I don't know if you actually remember, but I'm eighteen now!" Soft green widened. "Yes. You were so busy you probably didn't realize my birthday had passed. I'm eighteen now."  
"Oh."  
"Exactly. So you can tell me to go back to Germany but I don't have to listen to you, and I'm not going to listen to you. I'm staying here." Trip stepped forward and wrapped an arm loosely around Theo's shoulders. While he might be exceptionally good at starting arguments, he was just as good at ending them.  
"Why don't we let him stay here, hmm? It's not far from the manor, we can keep an eye on him. And maybe Koujaku can swing by occasionally and stay with him~," he joked. He missed the flinch from Noiz at the suggestion. Noiz really didn't want Theo staying here in Midorijima.  
"I think that would be a great idea. That way I can still see you when I want to, and I won't be quite so lonely," Theo said. Ren, who had been silent during the exchange, piped up.  
"It would also give Noiz and I a chance to stretch our legs. With Koujaku around our safety is almost guaranteed." Theo's head snapped between Ren and Noiz.  
"Safety? Are you in trouble, Noiz?"  
"No, no." Noiz grinned at his younger sibling and waved him off.  
"Midorijima just isn't an inherently safe place," Trip explained. From the floor beside Theo's feet Usagimodoki jumped to life.  
"P! Inhuman presence detected!" The three vampires passed a quick look between them.  
"Now I think we can worry."  
"Hey, Koujaku!"  
"Oh. It's only Mizuki." The tension in the room dissipated instantly. Koujaku moved from his spot towards the front door silently.  
"Inhuman...?" Theo asked. Noiz patted the top of his head, which was unnervingly close to his height, and chuckled.  
"It's a joke." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Koujaku open the door and the edge of Mizuki's trademark jacket. "Mizuki runs a bar and a tattoo parlor. We all wonder if he's even human because of how much work he does." Koujaku frowned suddenly.  
"Virus, Trip. We have a problem," he said.  
"Hmm?"  
"Hunters." Both elder blonds growled in unison.  
"Shit! Noiz, I'm afraid you'll have to cut this touching reunion short, we need to go," Virus warned.  
"Can't he come with us?" Noiz asked. Virus grabbed his wrist tight.  
"No, he'll slow us down. Mizuki!" he called out.  
"He's already gone," Koujaku said. "He must be planning on using himself as bait."  
"Then you take Theo!" Trip spat at Koujaku. Noiz snatched at Theo's arm.  
"No! I am not leaving my little brother with him!" A hand closed around a tuft of hair at the back of his head. Letting himself get jerked back he found himself staring into Virus's eyes with Trip holding him.  
"Do you want your brother to die?" Trip asked calmly, far more calmly than he probably should be.  
"No..."  
"Then let Koujaku take him. Remember, he's not alone. Theo will be fine. Once it's all clear I'll call him and tell him to bring Theo over to the manor, okay?" Virus promised  
"...Okay..." Trip let his hair go and bolted to the door. He peered out for a few moments before speaking  
"Okay, it doesn't like like there's any near here." As Virus was dragging his fledgling outside Noiz looked Koujaku dead in the eyes.  
"If my little brother gets hurt because of you I'll kill you myself!"

"You have a very nice place," Theo said. "It feels very homely."  
"I try to keep it that way," Koujaku said. "Do you want something to eat?" The blond laughed nervously and turned.  
"I'm afraid I don't know very many Japanese dishes...my palette is still accustomed to German foods." Koujaku smiled and puffed his chest out a bit. Even if he wasn't exactly the best at cleaning or a lot of other things, he prided himself on his cooking ability.  
But he still preferred Granny's cooking.  
"Ah, don't worry. I'll make something that's easy on you. A lot of people that come from outside of Japan seem to like this," he rattled. "Go ahead and take a seat, it'll be a few minutes."  
"I'm scared to. I don't know what's out for display and what's for use," he admitted softly.  
"Just sit." The mortal gingerly sat down on the beautiful couch sitting in the living room as Koujaku walked off, hand running over the material to feel it. It felt like it was an expensive material and he suddenly felt terrible for sitting there, so he moved over to a larger cushioned chair. The amount of cushioning almost made him sleepy, and the last thing he wanted was to fall asleep on his host. There was a wicker chair across from him; surely there wouldn't be any problems with him sitting on that? It was a little rough on his legs and backside but it looked to be the least expensive piece of furniture in the room. Even if he did come from a rich family that didn't mean he shared any of their habits.  
"So what do you do for a living to be able to afford all of this?" Theo asked of his host.  
"I'm a hair dresser. I don't actually have a concrete shop so I do it rounin style," he called back. Theo couldn't believe it.  
"If that's true then how do you make so much money? If your clients have to hope they find you for a hair cut then why do they pay you so much?"  
"Ah. I'm very good at what I do. There are plenty of women here on Midorijima that will only let me cut their hair and will go months without so much as a trim to make sure I take care of it. I have a very loyal...fanbase, you could say." Koujaku stole a quick glance outside the kitchen at Theo; he looked anxious, like he was awaiting a death sentence. "Hey, relax. You're safe here."  
"I'm worried about Wilhelm," Theo whispered. It took Koujaku a few moments to remember Wilhelm was Noiz's real name.  
"Noiz is a tough sonofabitch. Plus he's got Virus and Trip with him. They won't let anything happen to your brother," he reassured the blond in his front room.  
"Is my brother in trouble?" Koujaku frowned.  
"I just told you, he's safe with them."  
"No. That's not what I mean." Theo twiddled his thumbs nervously in his lap. How was he supposed to ask a question like this? "Is Noiz..."  
"Doing anything illegal?" Koujaku finished.  
"...Yeah."  
"No. Virus and Trip are keeping him out of that kind of thing."  
"But they ran off suddenly, and you said there were hunters!" Koujaku bit his lip. Theo was much more observant than Noiz was sometimes. He didn't hear the blond creep up behind him. The demon had to inform him of Theo's presence.  
"Then what has my brother gotten himself into?" he hissed.  
"It's not my place to tell you," Koujaku answered calmly.  
"Noiz is my brother, I have a right to know!" the German argued.  
"Then ask him when you see him again!" Theo growled and pivoted.  
"Then I'm going to go find him."  
"NO!" Koujaku felt his eyes widen as his hand jumped out to grab Theo's shoulder. He hadn't moved it, the demon had.  
'He's not leaving.'  
"Let him go," Koujaku hissed lowly. Theo shrugged Koujaku's hand off and continued walking.  
"I want to see my brother." The next events happened so fast Theo wasn't sure it was real. He felt a powerful grip on his arm force him around to look into Koujaku's eyes, which were now pitch black around blood red irises. A few strands of long red now mixed in with the deep navy of Koujaku's hair.  
"You will see him when you are told you will see him," Koujaku warned. Only it wasn't Koujaku. The voice was deeper, more gravelly. Theo felt his knees go weak. He was terrified. Just a few seconds before Koujaku had been so chipper and friendly and now...  
"Wh...what are you?" A slow, toothy grin spread up along the face in front of him.  
"A demon who's taken a fancy to you, that's what." The human's heart was fluttering rapidly against his chest now. Koujaku (the demon) took a step forward, reveling in the smell of fear oozing from his...prey. No. He wouldn't imagine hurting the human in front of him. Oh, no. This human intrigued him. It fascinated the demon, in fact, his voice letting out a purr as Theo's back hit the wall. "Hnn...you look delicious..." A long tongue slithered out to run from Theo's shoulder up to his ear before curling around the shell.  
"Get off of me!" A strong hand came up to pin Theo's to the wall above him. "Let me go!"  
"No." Sharp fangs touched against his earlobe. Theo was scared they would pierce his ear. He began breathing much faster than before, a slight light-headedness taking him over. Was he about to pass out? He didn't need to do that; if he passed out this...thing...would likely be able to do whatever it wanted to him. He forced himself to slow his breathing even as those teeth began to nibble and nip at his neck. The sharp stinging with each gentle contact made him...shiver? No. This was a creature, he wouldn't even consider it. The fear that settled in him at the realization of what was threatening to happen sent him hyperventilating again, and before he could catch what had happened he'd passed out in the demon's grip. 'At least if I die I won't feel it,' he thought to himself just before everything went completely black.


	14. The Cat's Out of the Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell I've had this in my documents for a while now, I've just been waiting to do a massive update across the board. However, I'm struggling with my third and fourth fics, so I'll update those probably either very early or very late tomorrow.

Koujaku let out a deep sigh. He really fucked up now. He'd let that damn demon take control when he shouldn't have. He'd scared Theo and when Noiz found out he'd rip Koujaku a new one.  
'Why are you scared of a fledgling? I won't let him hurt you. And even if I have respect for Virus I won't let him touch you either.' Koujaku growled and tried to block the voice from his head.  
"I'm not listening to you," he muttered, pulling down a few bottles of spices from his spice rack.  
'You're being childish now.'  
"I'm not being childish. If I were being childish I would be arguing with you. I'm ignoring you; there's a difference." He hated the fact that that THING was rattling around up in his head. Every day that went by he cursed his father more and more. "And I would appreciate it if you would keep quiet. The last thing Theo needs to hear is me talking to myself. I'm hoping he'll just think he had a nightmare."  
'But you're not talking to yourself. You're talking to me.'  
"But it's not like Theo can hear you," Koujaku reminded him curtly.  
'You could always just speak to me in your mind. You've done it plenty of times.'  
"If I do that I won't pay attention and I'll burn something. Please, if you're going to talk then do it to yourself and leave me in peace." Koujaku tapped the side of his head roughly. That usually managed to shut him for a while by throwing him off balance, he'd decided.  
'Nice try. I was expecting it this time.'  
"If you're not going listen to me then make the conversation productive and help me remember how to make...whatever I looked at?"  
'Fine. I'll keep quiet.'  
"That was supposed to be a hint for you to help me, jackass." Silence answered him. "Grrrr. I didn't need your help anyway." He grumbled and searched the recipe again, setting his coil over his stove and huffing. "Guess I'm doing this by myself."  
Two hours later Koujaku had finished his latest conquest in the kitchen. The heat had driven him to open his kitchen window to hopefully funnel most of it outside. Whatever it was smelled surprisingly good, though he'd learned long ago during his travels with his father that just because it smelled good didn't mean it tasted good.  
"Mmm...did you try and make jagerschnitzel?" Koujaku jumped up and accidentally slammed his head into an open cabinet door. "Oh! Are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you!"  
"No, no...it's fine..." Koujaku waved Theo off and laughed. His head was splitting now. On the plus side, though, he could tell the demon was disoriented as well. "How do you keep sneaking up on me?"  
"I don't mean to. I'm just naturally a quiet person." Theo chuckled and moved Koujaku out of the way. "Here. I'll fix it."  
"I fucked it up, didn't I?" Koujaku asked nervously.  
"No. You made it right. My family just uses different seasonings and such to give it a different flavor. I've helped my mother make it so many times I can smell when something's missing."  
"Oh." Koujaku decided to leave Theo in the kitchen to cook and wandered back into the front room.  
'He's a very interesting human.' The hair dresser flopped down onto the couch and closed his eyes.  
'You only say that because he can sneak up on us.'  
'Well of course. Not even Virus can sneak up on us. Mizuki sticks out like a sore thumb to me. But that human...'  
'Theo. His name is Theo. If you're gonna talk about him use his name.'  
'You're surprisingly defensive for a mortal you only just met. Don't tell me you're expecting to sleep with him?'  
'NO!' A low rumble followed. The demon was laughing.  
'Koujaku, I know you too well, I've had you under my control for three centuries now. Don't worry; if you do I won't harm him.'  
'I don't want to sleep with him. He's Noiz's little brother. If it's related to THAT I'm not going to touch him.'  
'Oh come now, you can't deny he's charming.'  
'Of course he is, but he's still related to Noiz!'  
'You act like it's the end of the world if you find him attractive.'  
"Koujaku! I already ate. Unfortunately you only made enough for one person..." Red eyes cracked open.  
"Eh? But I made so much!" Theo chuckled.  
"I tend to eat a lot." Koujaku sat up and stared hard at Theo. He was so thin and lanky, how the hell did he eat so much and not get fat? "I have a naturally fast metabolism, and as much work as I did for my father when I was still in Germany, it didn't have a chance to slow down." He sat down across from Koujaku anxiously. "It's getting late, and we haven't heard anything from Noiz. I'm worried."  
"I told you, Virus and Trip will take good care of your brother." Koujaku suddenly felt an itch for a smoke, so he rolled over off the couch and walked towards his balcony. "Come outside with me."  
"Ah...okay..." He stopped for a second in the kitchen to set his dishes in the sink to soak before following Koujaku outside. "You smoke?"  
"Not very often. Mostly from stress." He thumped his ashes over the edge and said, "You speak very good Japanese. How long have you been learning?"  
"Ah...two years?" Koujaku began choking on the smoke in his lungs. "Are you alright?"  
"Yes, I'm fine..." He coughed a few times and swallowed weakly. "Two years? And you're already that good?" He paused. "So you knew where Noiz was for that long?"  
"Yeah. I didn't want to come here and force him to take care of me," Theo admitted. "I also...wasn't sure if he even wanted to see me. I mean, I was part of his life in Germany...it was very likely that he wouldn't want me around. So I waited until I could support myself if that were the case." Koujaku heard a quiet thump from his roof; glancing up, he swore he saw a flash of blond and a shiny piercing.  
"Were you really that nervous that Noiz would turn you out?" he asked, intentionally casting a look up to his roof.  
"Yeah, I...I guess I was." Theo leaned against the railing and hummed. "He and I were best friends when we were younger, but then our parents locked him away, and...I tried to see him, but our parents would always get mad at me."  
"Locked him away?" Theo turned to look at Koujaku.  
"Did he never tell you? He can't feel anything. When we were younger we were playing and he accidentally hurt me. Mom and Dad weren't too happy, so they locked him in a room for five years. Until he ran away..."  
Noiz couldn't feel anything? That couldn't be right. How was that even possible?  
"So that's how he ended up here in Midorijima." Koujaku knocked his ashes off and tamped out the end of his cigar. "I had no clue."  
"It wouldn't surprise me, Noiz didn't really like to talk about it-" The railing creaked and gave a little bit. "Hmm? Ah well. He doesn't really like letting people know his business."  
"Yeah, I've noticed. Virus mentioned a few times that Noiz likes to keep things from him." Theo made a small noise.  
"Virus?"  
"Noiz's boyfriend."  
"Noiz has a boyfriend?"  
"Well...it's a little complicated with those two. Boyfriend is just kind of the loose term for it." Theo rubbed his eyes gently and sighed.  
"So in other words they're fuck buddies," Theo sighed.  
"No, they're more serious than that. A lot more serious, in fact..." Koujaku looked up at the roof; the blond had moved closer to the edge. He shook his head and moved to lean against the railing. "Trust me when I say they're serio-" A low groan sounded and the metal railing snapped.  
"Theo!" On instinct Koujaku reached out for Theo, his fingers brushing material and curling around the sleeve of his shirt. He didn't want to but he knew he'd have to use the demon to survive the fall and keep Theo from getting hurt.  
He jerked to a stop and winced; he swore his hip just popped out of socket. Theo jerked him again a little more and a few buttons popped off.  
"Theo, are you alright?" Koujaku forced his head to move and looked at his feet where Noiz had a strong grip on his leg.  
"I'm fine..." Theo's face had drained of all color and his voice was shaking. "Just a little scared..."  
"Don't worry, Theo, I won't let anything happen to you," Noiz assured. He began pulling the pair up, watching nervously every time it jerked Theo. Noiz lost his grip and accidentally dropped Koujaku for a second; Theo squeaked at the sudden jerk. Another button popped off. "Koujaku, can't you get a grip on his arm?"  
"I'm scared if I move him he'll fall! Can't you get Virus or Trip to pull us up, they're stronger!"  
"They're not here, I ditched them at the manor to come check on Theo! Shit..." Noiz bit his lip and began pulling the pair up again. Koujaku stretched his other hand out to try and grab Theo's arm instead of his shirt.  
"Don't move me, I might be able to get his arm!"  
"Hurry it up, my hand is slipping..."  
"Aren't you supposed to be stronger already?"  
"Not by much, shut up and grab him!" The hair dresser mumbled a few choice swear words and stretched himself out a little farther. The final button popped off suddenly. "Theo!"  
"Throw me up and jump after him!" Koujaku felt himself soar up towards his balcony and watched a blue and green blur shoot past him towards the ground. His fingers clamped around the edge of the metal balcony; with a slight struggle he managed to pull himself up to his feet.  
He peered over the edge to find Noiz dusting Theo off and probably asking if he was alright. Tears began pouring down the mortal's face, and Noiz pulled him in for a tight hug.  
"Are you alright, Theo?" he whispered. "You aren't hurt are you?"  
"No, I...I'm fine...Wilhelm, that fall should have broken your legs, how the hell are you still standing?" Noiz pulled away and laughed nervously.  
"What are you talking about? It's not that high up, I've fallen from higher before." Theo scoffed.  
"Noiz, that fall was from two stories up, you should have at least sprained your ankle if you landed right, which you didn't!" The elder blond shook his head and waved Theo off.  
"I told you, I've fallen from higher up. This was nothing."  
"You might as well tell him, Noiz." Koujaku strutted over to stand beside Theo. "I already fucked up once. Well, I didn't, they did," he finished, jerking his thumb at Theo and then pointing at his head.  
"You mean HE came out?"  
"Only for a second, I managed to reel him in before he caused too much damage." Noiz's eyes widened.  
"Too much damage?" Koujaku scratched at the side of his nose and sighed.  
"He...he may or may not have pinned Theo to the wall and somewhat molested him..."  
"YOU SONOFABITCH!" Noiz's fist connected with Koujaku's jaw. "How could you let him do that!?"  
"You really think I can control when he takes over!? Half the time I can't get him to fucking cooperate with me! I'm lucky if I can get him to shut up when I'm trying to sleep!" He wiped at a drop of blood beading at his lip.  
"You've had how fucking long to learn to handle him? And you STILL can't get control of him?" Red flared in the fledgling's eyes. "I SHOULD KILL YOU RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"  
"Have fun with that, you know he won't let me die." Koujaku tilted his head back. "I'll even give you a clean shot at my throat. I wouldn't bite, though. Thanks to him my blood's poisonous to you guys." Silence passed between them. "Not gonna do it?"  
"Not in front of my brother," Noiz spat. Koujaku grinned and dropped his head.  
"Noiz..." Theo whimpered, backing away from his brother nervously, eyes darting between him and Koujaku. "Is there...something...you're not telling me?"  
"Theo, do not run." Noiz took a step forward, and Theo hopped back.  
"I won't. Just don't come any closer." The elder blond let out a breath and stopped in his tracks.  
"Will you calmly follow Koujaku and I upstairs? I will explain everything up there." Matching green eyes widened slightly.  
"I won't be hurt, will I?" Theo asked. Noiz's hands went up beside his head.  
"I'll even walk in front of Koujaku if that makes you feel better." Theo's defensive stance dropped a little.  
"Please."

"So you're a vampire..." Theo looked over at his brother, who nodded and leaned back against the couch. "And you're...possessed and three hundred years old," he asked of Koujaku. He nodded also and crossed his legs. "And Virus turned Noiz, which means Virus is his sire. And Trip is also Virus's fledgling?"  
"Yes." The younger sibling dropped down into Koujaku's plush chair. He was struggling to take everything in. When he'd come to Midorijima he'd intended on reconnecting with his older brother, not find out that said sibling was now a vampire. And he certainly hadn't counted on feeling possible attraction towards a possessed human who should be dead already.  
"The only reason I believe you is because of what happened with Koujaku and the fall. But as of now I am still terrified of you. Both of you."  
"Virus is gonna kill me...I wasn't supposed to tell you, you weren't supposed to know..." Noiz continued muttering until without warning he lurched forward, hand clutching at his stomach. "Ouch...fuck..."  
"Noiz? Did you not feed?" Koujaku asked.  
"I didn't think there'd be a problem if I put it off for another night." He answered, flinching when another spasm wracked his body. "Dammit...get Theo out and call Virus."  
"You sure you'll be alright alone? If you go feral it won't end pretty," Koujaku reminded him. Noiz waved his hand and gripped his stomach.  
"It takes more than missing one feeding Koujaku, just get him out."  
"No. I'm not going." Two pairs of red eyes locked with Theo. "You need to feed. Well...I'm here."  
"Theo, no. Go with Koujaku, he'll get in touch with Virus and-"  
"Wilhelm, it's fine. I know you won't hurt me."  
"But you just said you were terrified of me."  
"That was before I remembered you were my brother who, were he human, still wouldn't have hesitated to jump from the balcony to save me even if it did mean you risked dying." He held his arm out and turned his head away. "Just...be gentle. Please. I don't have much of a pain tolerance."  
"...Thank you, Theo."  
"You're welcome, bruder. Just-ow." He couldn't help but turn to look at his wrist. Noiz licked a small droplet of blood from his nail where he'd scratched the skin open and Theo gagged.  
"Okay, so I can't watch you feed. Should have known thaaaooohh, that feels weird." Theo grunted and started to pull his arm away before remembering why he was holding it out and forcing himself to hold it still. "Oh fuck, that feels really weird..."  
"Guess I should be thankful my blood's poison," Koujaku commented from Theo's other side. "Vampires know better than to try and feed from me."  
"Why is that, if I may ask?" Theo asked through gritted teeth. His hand came up to cover his mouth.  
"Demon blood doesn't agree with a vampire's digestive system. It spreads like a toxin and kills them."  
"And how is your blood poisoned if you're a human? Noiz, please tell me you're done, that feeling is really starting to get to me."  
"When I say possessed, I mean more like 'half of the body's his, half of the body's mine.' When he jumped in part of...him mixed in with me. And we created this."  
"Just one drop will make us sick for a week and a half." Noiz hissed quietly and stood up, tongue coming out to lick up the excess blood staining his lips before his attention turned to the newest occupants. "Anymore than that and we're on the verge of death for months."  
"Hey, Virus." Trip waved from behind his sire. "Hey, Trip."


	15. Turn for the Worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm gonna get hate. I know I'm gonna tick people off.  
> So bring on the hate, yo. I'll be just fine.

"Mizu-chan..." Sei pulled his head up from Mizuki's chest, black eyes studying his lover's face. "What would you say to being my mate?" This sent the angel shooting up to look at him better.  
"Princess...are you sure you should be bringing that up? It's dangerous, and you know this. If that does become the case, then...you know the complications." Sei straightened himself out, wrapping the covers around his waist and smiling. Their hands locked together tightly.  
"I am well aware of what that means, Mizu-chan. But I don't care. I love you." Sei began drawing lazy swirls on the back of Mizuki's hand. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be sleeping with you."  
"No offense, Princess, but you were fairly eager to sleep with me when we met the third time," Mizuki reminded him. A soft smile crossed the vampire's face, and Mizuki's heart melted.  
"That was because I knew I loved you. Lots of vampires stay in relationships for thirty, forty years before they decide if they're the right ones. Virus did that with Trip, and they didn't make it. They could have, but they were a little too toxic by themselves." The swirls began traveling up his arm. "But I knew I loved you already. You were kind...sweet...loving...you were what I wanted. Someone to treat me like a person, instead of like property."  
"Like Toue treats you." The smile turned sad instantly.  
"Yes. Like Toue treats me. You made me feel loved. And like I was important. And like I was perfect. So of course I loved you. Who wouldn't? Then again, after suffering for a hundred and thirty years under Toue's control, I would have fallen in love with a demon that didn't kill me at first sight. But I wouldn't have cared. I just wanted to be treated like an actual person." A finger traced gently along Sei's cheek.  
"Princess. The fact that Toue treats you like that is disgusting. How anyone could treat their own son like that escapes me. You are a wonderful person. You're more of an angel than I am. I love you, and I will always love you no matter what. So...so yes. I will be your mate. Consequences be damned, I will be your mate. Because you deserve me, and I deserve you." Sei giggled softly.  
"Then I guess we should start getting my things, shouldn't we?" he asked lowly. In answer Mizuki let his lips close around Sei's sweetly.

"Sei is coming to visit," Virus sighed. He sounded tired and frustrated. Neither Noiz nor Trip missed this. Across from them Koujaku and Theo were chatting between themselves. After the 'incident' Koujaku insisted on staying around to prove to Noiz and Theo both he wasn't dangerous. A way of apologizing to Noiz, he'd argued.  
"Something's wrong with that sentence?" Trip asked.  
"Yeah, Sei shouldn't be allowed to leave," Noiz answered from beside him. "If he can't leave how is he coming to visit?"  
"Mizuki," Virus answered. "They're mates."  
"Mates?" Koujaku frowned. "Isn't that dangerous?" Virus began drumming his nails on the table in front of him.  
"Inherently so," he hissed. If they were mates then they were bonded for eternity, and if they separated it would likely lead to one or the other dying a bloody and violent death.  
"But shouldn't them being mates be a good thing?" Theo asked. "After all, doesn't that mean they love each other?"  
"Theo...vampires and angels don't get along very well. And Mizuki is an angel, and Sei is the prince of vampires. It's rather dangerous for them to be mated," Koujaku said.  
"Oh...really? Why not?"  
"Angels are dicks, plain and simple," Trip explained. "Mizuki is one of those rare exceptions to the rule, you know?"  
"But angels are always said to be sweet. They're, you know, angels. There's a reason being called an angel is a compliment," Theo argued. Trip snorted and rolled his eyes.  
"Stereotypical bullshit, to say the least. I've met four angels in my life, and three of them tried to kill me before I could say 'hello' to them."  
"Oh." Usagimadoki chimed to life.  
"P! Inhuman presences approaching!"  
"That would be Sei and Mizuki. Noiz, would you open the door, please? The faster we get them in here the safer we'll all be," Virus said. Noiz grunted, rolled over off the couch, and walked over to the door.  
"Hello, Virus! How are you?" Sei asked, stepping inside and dragging Mizuki with him. "We figured we'd come stop by for a little bit and say hello to your new tennant!"  
"Ah, you mean Theo. Koujaku seemes to be infatuated with the poor boy already, and so is HE," Virus said, glaring right at Koujaku as he spoke. "In fact, from what I've gathered he's already said hello to him."  
"Oh, dear...it didn't startle him too bad, did it?" Sei asked worriedly.  
"No, I'm fine, thank you! It wasn't quite that bad, after I calmed down and talked to bruder and Kouja-kun," Theo chimed. 'Lovely,' Noiz thought to himself in aggravation. 'He's already got a pet nickname for the damned idiot.'  
"Don't." Theo turned to Koujaku.  
"Hmm?"  
"Don't. Call me. Kouja-kun," he warned. The blond shrank away in shame.  
"I'm sorry, Koujaku...I didn't know it made you mad. Otherwise I wouldn't have said it..." Theo apologized quickly.  
"Don't worry, he doesn't mean it! It's the demon talking, I can tell," Sei assured Theo. "I'm Sei, and this is Mizu-chan."  
"Mizuki," the angel said with a smile. "Princess here just happens to have a nickname for me, kind of like you have for Koujaku. Though it seems you can't use it..."  
"It's fine," Theo promised him. "I don't want to make Koujaku or the demon mad. Does the demon even have a name?"  
"No. We just collectively refer to him as either 'it' or 'him' when we mention him," Koujaku grumbled.  
"Have you ever asked if he had a name?" Theo prodded. The hair dresser shifted in his seat.  
"Well, no. It wasn't ever high up on my list of important things to do," he answered.  
"I see..." Theo made a mental note later to try and prod the demon into making an appearance again and asking his name, if he had one, and potentially giving him one if he didn't. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Virus suddenly perk up. "Hmm? Something bothering you, Virus?"  
"No, I just received arguably some of the best news I've heard in nearly three years," he muttered in answer. "Some of our thugs found Mink."  
"You mean the bastard that killed me?"  
"You mean the asshole who put a bullet in Mizu-chan's wing?" Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Sei and Mizuki.  
"He shot Mizuki's wing?" Sei nodded curtly.  
"Yes. We were talking one night, and he let his wings loose right when the shot was taken. I didn't think anything of it until I saw blood staining his feathers. He can't even fly right now," he explained.  
"The wing's wrapped up tight right now. I actually have them charmed so they're invisible. I can't put them away, it hurts too bad," Mizuki added. "So you're saying you know where the guy that did this to me is?"  
"Yeah, it seems he has a warehouse off in the seedier part of town where he's set up shop. If we move now we might be able to catch him off guard. Mizuki, stay here and keep an eye on Theo, Noiz, Ren, and Sei. Koujaku, you and Trip-"  
"I'm coming with you." Sei and Noiz looked to each other with a slight smile. It seems they'd had the same idea.  
"You're not leaving us here," Sei warned.  
"No way in hell. We both have a bone to pick with that fucker," Noiz added. "I'd like a good crack at him for killing me."  
"I understand your frustration, Noiz, but I would rather not risk anything happening to you." The blond smiled at him. "I love you too much."  
"I know you do, Virus, but I can't sit here on my hands all the time while you and Trip run around nearly getting yourselves killed every damn day! Take me with you!" Noiz defended.  
"My answer is no, Noiz. You can argue with me all you want, but you're staying here." Virus walked over, smiling happily, and kissed the fledgling on the nose. After a few moments Noiz deflated and turned away.  
"Fine."  
"And I want to get my piece in on him," Sei snapped. "He hurt Mizu-chan. He's insane if he thinks I'll let him get away with that."  
"There's no sense arguing with him,Virus. We'll just have to deal with them," Koujaku sighed.

 

"So this is the place?" Sei looked around him at the surrounding buildings before looking back up. "No wonder we never would have thought to look here."  
"This is way outside Scratch territory, too. Actually, if I recall, this is at the edge of MY territory, and that's grounds enough for an ass kicking in my book," Koujaku grumbled. Normally he was like a gentle giant, but under certain circumstances he was just as cruel as the demon stuck inside him. This was one of them.  
"So what's the plan, Virus? Catch them off guard and rip them to shreds?" Trip asked.  
"No. We're using bait," he answered. Sei frowned and looked over at the blond.  
"Bait? What do you mean, bait?" Trip groaned loudly.  
"Virus, we're not going to use bait. Noiz will kill you," Trip warned. "Besides, there can't be any more than ten of them in there. Between me, you, and Koujaku there won't be any problems. Leave Sei out here, where he won't be in danger."  
"You mean leave him out in the open where any hunter that happens by could kill him? No thank you," Koujaku snapped. Virus sighed but shook his head in defeat. Koujaku was right, even if he didn't want to admit it.  
"...Fine. You and Trip should go in first," Virus suggested.  
"If you think that's a good idea," Trip murmured. "Come on, Beastie."  
"I would appreciate you not calling me that," Koujaku growled back. The two walked towards the large double doors of the warehouse.  
"Sure. Sorry, Koujaku." Trip didn't sound like he really meant it, but Koujaku took it in stride and helped pry the door open. Four heads turned towards them.  
"What the hell?"  
"Hello there, boys!" Virus smiled dangerously and crossed his arms. His eyes flared a deep bloody red. "We were hoping that you might want to tango with us?"  
"They're vamps! Kill 'em!" Koujaku and Virus moved first, each one taking a hunter in hand and dragging them off into the shadows. Trip grinned and took a few steps forward.  
"So which one of you wants to play with me, hmm?" One of the hunters left, a rugged man covered in scars and tattoos, stomped forward.  
"Do your worst, filth," he taunted. The grin turned feral in an instant.  
"Oh, I intend to..." He moved before the hunter could blink, hands coming up to snap his neck in one fluid motion before launching himself at the other and ripping his throat out. Sei stood stoically behind him, unfazed by the bloodbath before him. Centuries of experiments on him and stories from both Virus and Trip had steeled him to such things.  
Speaking of Virus, the blond strolled out wiping blood from his cheeks and flicking drops of it onto the concrete floor. He made it a habit not to drink hunter's blood. It usually tasted too bitter for his liking. He grumbled to himself, then made a mental note to have his suit dry cleaned when he got the chance.  
"Sei, would you-"  
"Don't move, Virus." The blond stopped mid-stride, one foot in the air. Slowly his eyes narrowed. Sei and Trip were now side by side, knives pressed to their throats. Mink stared at him hard. "If you do I'll kill them both."  
"You've had a grudge on me for quite some time, Mink. I'm surprised you've let it go on as long as it has. Why do you hate me, anyway? I haven't done anything to you," Virus noted.  
"You know exactly why I dislike you," Mink answered. A loose grin settled on the vampire's lips.  
"Ah. Right. You were part of Toue's experiments. A crying shame, really. I extend my apologies to you, as I understand it was wrong. However, I was merely acting under Toue's order. I owe the man my life, and swore to him I would do as he said when he saved me. Sadly at the time I didn't understand just how twisted Toue's views on things were. But I'm a man of my word, so I grit my teeth and suffered. Perhaps you'll accept my apology?" Virus felt it was a futile effort, but one he still had to try. Maybe Mink was an honest enough person to do so. After all, it wasn't Virus's fault.  
"I'm afraid that won't work." Oh well; he tried. "You had a hand in my suffering. You'll pay just as Toue will."  
"Yes, well, I'm afraid that won't work. See, I have a fledgling to take care of. I can't very well leave him to fend for himself with Trip, now can I? He'll die if I do that," Virus smirked a little, eyes moving slightly to the left to look past Mink. "And I don't think that demon wants to see his new interest miserable from his brother's death, either."  
"Wha-" A blinding pain blossomed from Mink's back in five small points. The blades dropped from his hands and clattered to the floor. The pain intensified for a brief moment before he felt nothing; his knees buckled underneath him and he hit the floor dead. Koujaku growled, blood staining his claws, eyes red and gold, hair stained crimson. The demon set his foot on top of Mink's head and pushed down, grinning as bone crunched underfoot and brain mixed with blood splattered across the concrete.  
"Don't demons eat souls?" Trip asked calmly, watching the demon continue to shred Mink's body to ribbons.  
"Yes, why?"  
"I'm surprised he's not swallowing Mink's up right now," Trip said.  
"Mink's is likely not of the demon's tastes. I've noticed that one actually has a preference," Virus explained. Sei crossed his arms and hummed to himself.  
"Perhaps we could go home now?" he asked. "I'm tired, and I would rather like to see Mizuki."  
"If you insist, Sei," Virus sighed. "I'm sure the demon will make sure Koujaku's body makes it back in one piece." Virus patted both Tip and Sei on the back before glancing at his shoes. "Damn...I got blood on them." After a moment his hand came up to his stomach. "Aaahhh...I don't feel very well..."  
"Oh, don't tell me you're gonna pull another black-out on us?" Trip grunted.  
"No, I don't..." Virus's hand shot up to cover his mouth. "Don't think that will be a probl...em..." Before he could stop it the contents of his stomach came up onto the concrete at his feet. He heaved again, stomach acid mixing in with the blood and food in front of him.  
"Virus? What's wrong?" Sei asked. The blond didn't answer. "Virus?"  
"Oh, no..." Trip watched as he vomited again, more stomach acid coming up and burning his throat. "Please, no...not now..."  
"Trip, what's wrong with him?" Sei sounded frantic, eyes darting between the two blonds. "Trip?"  
"Virus is dying."

"Are you sure? Maybe there's nothing wrong with him!"  
"I'm afraid that's not gonna be the case, Noiz. Sei's never had to deal with it, but it's actually a common occurence. Vampires can actually get sick. It's more common than you think, and not contagious. It's extremely random, some get sick and some don't. It's literally a luck of the draw type of thing," Trip sighed.  
"So if a sire gets sick, will their fledglings?"  
"Noiz, there have been cases of vampires having thirty fledglings and the sire not get sick and one of their fledglings takes one and the sonofabitch dies. Then, the fledgling that lost its sire goes on and has five of their own, and one of those five takes on three. The third one takes one under and bam, the fledgling gets sick and dies instead of the sire. When I say random, I mean random. It's very likely that neither of us will get sick, but there's always a possibility." Noiz sighed and stared down at his feet.  
"And you say...it's fatal?"  
"In every case but three. And this has been happening since the first vampire. I'm sorry, Noiz. But at this point it's guaranteed that we're gonna lose him." Trip wrapped his arms around Noiz's shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug. Noiz paused for a minute before wrapping spindly arms around Trip's broad frame and crying. After the shit Trip had done to him the last thing he should be doing was hugging him, but right now...right now he needed it. He needed a shoulder to cry on. After all...the man he'd fallen head over heels with was laying in his own bedroom, on his own bed, dying. Finally he pulled away and wiped at drying tear tracks.  
"I'm gonna go see him. Go...go check on the others. Let them know what's up," he said quietly as he trudged off. Trip could see the hurt even with his back turned. Noiz was torn up about this, probably just as bad as he was. They were losing their sire, and the man that both of them loved as more than a sire. When Trip walked into the living room Sei shot up from the couch.  
"Is he alright?" he asked nervously. When Trip's eyes met his he deflated, falling back onto the couch and into Mizuki's embrace. "I see. How long...? Do you know?"  
"I wouldn't give him a month. More than likely he'll be gone in two weeks. His body is trying to shut down on him, and once the process starts it's practically irreversable. All we can do is try and make things comfortable for him until he dies."  
"So you're just laying down and accepting him as a dead man? You're not even going to try and fight to keep him alive?" Mizuki snapped.  
"Mizuki, only three people have ever survived this. I'm sorry if I'm less than optimistic," Trip hissed. "I would love to tell myself that Virus is fine, he's just a little under the weather and that he'll be better in two or three days while he's asleep. But I know that's not the case. He's been sick like this for a while, we just...we just agreed not to tell Noiz. We didn't want to upset him. It might not have been the best decision, but it's the one we both made. And now we have to live with it." After a second of thought he added, "Well...I have to live with it."  
"Can I see him?" Sei asked.  
"Not right now. Noiz is with him. It...wouldn't be best to bother them."  
Noiz pressed an ear to Virus's chest to listen to his heart. The steady rhythm had lulled him to sleep almost every night for over six months. It now beat irregularly, unable to keep a steady tempo. His breathing was short and shallow, a low whistle escaping his throat every few breaths. His skin was pale, like marble, and blue veins pushed against his skin and webbed their way along his body. His condition had dropped so suddenly it scared Noiz. It meant that the slightest thing could take Virus away from him before he had a chance to tell him a proper goodbye.  
"You're really warm..." Noiz jerked away suddenly to lock eyes with dull blue orbs clouded with pain.  
"I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm sorry." Virus weakly waved him off.  
"You didn't wake me. I can't sleep," he answered quietly. "It hurts too much."  
"Is there anything I can do to try and help?" Noiz asked.  
"No. I'm afraid not. Drugs don't work on the vampire body like they do humans. They pass through too quickly, and barely even affect us." He wheezed again and reached for Noiz's hand. Their fingers twined gently. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you so soon."  
"Don't apologize. You're not going anywhere, you stubborn bastard. You'll get better. I know you will. You're not the type to just lay down and die," Noiz told him. His free hand came up to run through blond spikes. "You look tired."  
"I am. I feel so tired. I just want to sleep, but I can't. It feels like my entire body is on fire." He hissed and flinched suddenly. "Dammit..."  
"You were so strong before...what happened?"  
"I was sick before I turned you. Don't feel bad." Noiz flinched back.  
"Wh...what?" Virus nodded weakly.  
"I'm sure Trip told you this is random. I actually started going down shortly after our encounter at Heibon, when I patched up your wounds. You never would have been able to tell I was rotting away, would you?" he asked with a sardonic smile. "Oh, the irony. I'm happy for the first time in ten years and I start croaking."  
"Don't talk like that, Virus...! You'll be fine. I told you. You'll get better. Soon you'll be up and about just like you always were." He wiped fresh tears away. "And when you get better we'll celebrate with a good hard fuck." Virus laughed lowly, the sound painful to Noiz's ears.  
"I'm afraid my days of fucking have come to an end, Noiz love." He squeezed Noiz's hand, the grip not registering with the blond until he saw Virus's hand relax. "Do me a favor...try and get along with Trip, okay? He'll be taking care of you and Ren after I'm dead."  
"Shut up Virus!" Noiz squeezed Virus's hand back. "Shut up! You'll be fine, you'll get better!" Virus's smile faltered.  
"Noiz, don't delude yourself. Please. It'll only hurt worse." His thumb ran gently along the back of his lover's knuckle. "We both know I'm gone. It's only a matter of time. Despite the fact that we call ourselves 'immortal' we're actually much more fragile than we let on," Virus whispered.  
"So I've noticed." Noiz removed his hand from Virus's grasp and patted his chest with it. "I'm sure Sei wants to see you. I'll go get him."  
"No, don't. I don't want him seeing me like this," Virus begged.  
"But this is the last time you might get to see your little brother," Noiz reminded him. The fight left Virus's eyes at the statement.  
"...Alright." Noiz walked out quietly, Virus only just registering that he wasn't wearing the trademark beanie that almost never left his head. He meant to comment on it but was cut short by the click of the door closing. His eyes slipped closed in the hopes of regaining some energy for his conversation with Sei.  
He was scared to see Sei. He'd been scared to see Noiz, he was scared to see Trip. They were the only three that would likely visit him during his last stretches, and he didn't want to see any of them. He was weak and dying, they didn't need to see him like this. Not when he was weak. Not when he'd been strong for so long.  
The door opening dragged him from his thoughts, and he forced his eyes open to see Sei closing the door behind him.  
"Hey, Virus." The smile he'd carried before returned.  
"Hello, Sei. It seems like the tables have turned, haven't they? You've gained a nice color since you mated with Mizuki," Virus wheezed. "I'm sure he's keeping you fed?"  
"I've discovered that angel blood has wonderful properties when ingested," Sei assured him. "And I've also discovered that I don't get hungry near as much as I did feeding from humans."  
"Sei, it's not the human blood, it's the fact that you actually get to feed until you're satisfied, not until Toue decides you've had enough. Though I have been told that angel blood is strangely beneficial to our kind. It's just a shame that now you won't ever be able to feed from anyone else again," Virus mused.  
"It's a decision I've made for myself, Virus. And it's one I'll have to spend the rest of eternity contending with. I knew that angel blood would completely destroy my systems and give me the equivalent of an allergy to any other type of blood when I fed from Mizuki. Just like I know that Toue won't be too happy when he realizes I'm gone," Sei finished sadly. "He'll probably ask you and Trip if you've seen me when you go into work in a few days." He thought for a moment, then quickly straightened up. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Virus, I didn't mean..."  
"It's fine, Sei. You're just as optimistic as Noiz. Disgustingly so, if you ask me, but don't tell him I said that," Virus laughed. "It's...refreshing to see you two want me well."  
"Trip does to, even if he doesn't say anything about it or condemns you as a dead man. You can see it in his eyes. He can't bring himself to believe the man he fell in love with, spent forty years in a relationship with, slaughtered a hunter in a rather brutal way for trying to kill him, and still loves him whether he realizes it or not is dying," Sei told him.  
"I'm well aware of the fact that I still love Trip," Virus said. "That fact will never change. Even if Trip doesn't seem to realize it, I've still been in love with him for the ten years we've been split. I just thought when he argued with me like he did that he hated me, but...it turns out that was just his twisted way of making me show I loved him."  
"You two were so good together...you just turned toxic on each other, is all. It's the same with you and Noiz, only you guys haven't done that yet. Maybe Noiz was what you and Trip needed? A mediator for you to show your emotions to each other, since you seem to have problems expressing them directly."  
"Do you really think Trip and I were good together?"  
"Virus. You were perfect together. You just...suck at being a normal couple, is all." Sei laughed quietly. "So, umm...what's going to happen with Noiz after you die? And Ren?"  
"Trip will have to take care of them himself."  
"Are you sure Trip will be able to handle it? I mean, he's over fifty years old now, and he still lives with his sire, and not because it's convenient for work. Maybe you should leave them with Mizuki and I."  
"And risk Trip trying to run off on his own? I don't think so. My death is going to destroy both of them. Thank you for the offer, Sei, but that won't work."  
"And Ren...?" Virus thought for a second.  
"It would probably be better if Ren did go with you and Mizuki. Technically you're really his older brother, he'll probably want to be near family while he's adjusting."  
"I see...that does make sense, doesn't it?" Sei pondered. He watched Virus's pulse beat against his neck. "I don't want you to die, Virus."  
"I know you don't. I don't either. But I know it's coming. I can feel it." Sei leaned down to pull Virus into a hug.  
"I love you, Virus," he whispered. Virus smiled and forced his arms around Sei.  
"I love you too, Sei," he returned. They pulled apart slowly, neither one really wanting to let go.  
"Try and get some sleep. Okay, Virus? You need your rest if you're going to get better," Sei scolded.  
"Alright, alright. I'll try and get some sleep." Sei tapped his shoulder gently and stood up to leave.  
"Hey, Virus?"  
"Yes, Sei?"  
"Thank you." He left quietly without another word, and yet Virus knew exactly what he meant.  
Thank you for making my life bearable. Thank you for holding my hand after the experiments. Thank you for helping me survive as long as I have. Thank you for everything.  
Virus felt strangely at peace with the two simple words, and he let his eyes drift closed. Maybe some sleep would do him some good, as Sei had suggested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt meh, but then again I know how the rest of it's gonna go, so it might not be bad to you guys. Feedback appreciated.


	16. IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING HACKER'S

So...I'v had a few people ask me to continue this story, and say it's really good, and that I shouldn't abandon it. Well I finally decided that I'd indulge them.

HOWEVER.

I am not CONTINUING IT, per se, so much as rewriting it. I've found plotholes upon plotholes while rereading the chapters, and instead of trying to fix them as-is I'm going to just start the whole thing back from the beginning.

Don't fret. Key story points won't be changed, and if anything there will be a few new added details.

This project SHOULD be getting started up in the next month or so, so please be patient with me. I've been getting ready for cons lately and am preparing for a con in September, so this update schedule might be a little wonky and inconsistent. But I promise, it will be done.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued.....


End file.
